


Beauty & the Beast: Aaron & Robert Edition

by shamelessurbanbunny



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anger, Crossover, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Plotbunnies, Sassy, Sexual Tension, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-07-26 17:40:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7583659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamelessurbanbunny/pseuds/shamelessurbanbunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Well, it’s Beauty and the Beast, but the Beast is less furry and more gay in this Emmerdale edition of the classic tale. Starts off a bit hokey, because I began with a parody of the introduction to the 1991 Disney cartoon. I swear it gets better after that! This is based on the Disney version of the tale because that’s how I was introduced to the story as a kid. I still have a soft spot for it. And some of the musical numbers in that movie are fantastic! (But not present in this story, sorry!) It helps if you are familiar with some version of the fairy tale, but if you happen to never have seen or read Beauty & the Beast, this can work as a stand alone Emmerdale fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Omg I sat down to start writing a different AU idea I'd been thinking of (I was trying to keep my promise to those of you who read my last AU fic, since I told you I'd post again in August). Then I got lost on youtube because I was procrastinating. I rediscovered the Disney trailer for the 2017 movie featuring Emma Watson as Belle, and I had a light bulb moment where it all clicked in my head. Have not been able to focus on anything except this plot bunny! So much so, that I have used my lunch break at work to edit out mistakes made while I wrote this at 3AM so I can post it now!
> 
> While normally I like to bring canon into my stories, this time anything goes. I messed with the timeline A LOT. For the purposes of this story, Robert returned to Emmerdale in 2012, and has owned Home Farm from that time. I’m ignoring the entire Chas/Debbie/Cameron triangle. Also for the purposes of this story, Katie never married Declan, and was already married to Andy when Robert returned.

Once upon a time in Emmerdale, a wealthy young man named Robert lived in a big mansion at Home Farm. Although he had everything his heart desired, the young man was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.

One night, in the middle of a snow storm, Katie came to his mansion and begged him for shelter after her car broke down on a nearby road. Unable to let go of their past together, Robert sneered and turned her away. She warned him that one day he would begin to regret his actions, for there would come a time when he would stray so far from what is right and good that no one would tolerate his behavior any longer. She warned him that he would be cursed to live a lonely life, without love or warmth. When he turned her away again, Katie walked off into the blizzard and was never seen or heard from again. The young man tried to apologize to Andy for not giving Katie shelter when she asked, but it was too late. His family could see there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, they turned their backs on the beast he had become.

Ashamed of his monstrous behavior, Robert concealed himself inside his mansion. Katie’s last words to him became his obsession, and Robert became convinced that her words were cursed to become reality. If he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return, only then would the curse be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.

As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

*****

“Look at his cute little hungover face!” Chas cooed, reaching out to stroke her son’s dark hair.

Aaron lifted his head from where he’d laid it face down on his arms, which were crossed over the top of the kitchen table. He shrugged off Chas’ touch.

“Do I have to?” Diane asked as she crossed behind Aaron’s seat, on her way out of the kitchen.

He didn’t take offense. Diane had been just as pleased as anyone else the night before, when Aaron had returned to the pub to celebrate after his sentencing at court had gone well. She was just poking fun at Chas, who was over the moon now that he was back from France and out of prison. His mum was in a fine mood this morning, and was unruffled by his attempts to shake off her loving touch. She plopped down on the chair next to his, holding her mug up to her lips. She was too busy beaming at him to take a sip of her coffee.

Diane left the room, and it was just him and his mum now. Aaron sat up, then caught sight of the heaping plate Chas had set in front of him. Just yesterday, he’d started his morning in prison, and had dreamt of a breakfast like this. Chas had cooked his favorites and piled them onto the plate. There were fried eggs, potatoes, bacon… Today, the smell of it was enough to turn his stomach. Aaron nudged the plate away, then rubbed at his aching forehead.

He lowered his hand when he heard his mum sigh. He squinted at her, trying to focus his bleary eyes. The brightness of the sunlit room didn’t help his efforts. Aaron was unnerved when he saw Chas just sitting there, looking at him with a soppy grin on her face. 

“You’re making me feel nervous now,” he complained, voice coming out hoarse from sleep.

“Oh, it’s just so good to have you back,” she said softly. When she continued, she shifted to a distinctly mothering tone, and while it was annoying, he found he’d missed it after his two years in France. “And I don’t want you getting banged up again, so please don’t let Ross wind you up!” She was referring to the scuffle he had gotten into with Ross at the pub last night. The idiot was blaming him for a job gone wrong, and his girlfriend’s death.

“He’s a muppet,” Aaron sighed tiredly.

“Please, Aaron!” He sighed in exasperation this time, looking up at the ceiling and trying very hard not to get annoyed at her. She seemed to take that as agreement, because he caught her smile returning to her face before he dropped his head back down into his arms. “So, how are you going to be spending your first day of freedom? Apart from feeling sorry for yourself.”

He looked back up at her, knowing he looked miserable. “Got myself a job, didn’t I?”

“Wow, you don’t hang about!” she said, impressed.

“I asked Cain last night.” Chas looked down at her mug, her cheer gone. “Mum? What is it?”

“Oh, nothing,” she reassured him, forcing a smile back onto her face. Aaron just shook his head, not buying it. “Well, I guess you could say it’s a good thing you got your old job back so soon.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“I didn’t want to worry you while you were in France, and then you were in prison, but… Well, I had some unexpected money problems recently.”

“What kind of money problems?”

“Well… I didn’t exactly keep out of trouble while you were away,” Chas explained, somewhat guiltily. “You probably haven’t heard yet, but Home Farm was bought a couple years ago. Right after you left for France.”

“Okay,” Aaron said, playing along. “By who?”

“Robert Sugden, Victoria and Andy’s brother. I’m not sure if you remember him?”

“A little, maybe. I don’t know,” Aaron said, trying to think back. Thinking of any kind was difficult with his hangover. “I might have seen him once or twice, but I think he’d already gone when Dad kicked me out and I came back to live with you.”

“Well,” Chas said, holding her mug to her lips again. “I can tell you, everyone was glad to see the back of him!” She took a sip of her coffee before setting the cup back down. “He was a player. He cheated on every woman who’d have him, and he got into all sorts of trouble besides. His father did the village a favor when he told his son to go.”

“So, why’d he come back?” Aaron asked, shrugging. There were plenty of men who played away from home, and he hadn’t heard anything worse than that Robert was a cheater.

“Beats me,” Chas said. “Apparently he married some poor cow with a fortune. The rumor is that he cheated on her and she offed herself. If you ask me, she should have divorced him first! Anyway, he’s got all the money now, and he came back to buy Home Farm. At first he pretty much was just lording it about, flaunting his money. It annoyed everybody, but it wasn’t the worst thing, you know. That came a couple months later, when Katie died.”

“You had told me she got caught in a blizzard,” Aaron remembered. It had been maybe half a year after he’d left Emmerdale. 

“Right, but what I didn’t say is that when her car broke down, she was near Home Farm. She sent a text to Andy, to let him know that she had walked over to Robert’s and was about to ask if she could stay there.”

“But clearly she didn’t stay, or she’d still be alive.”

“He turned her away. Later, he said he didn’t realize her car had broken down. I don’t believe it for one second, and neither does Andy. They got into some kind of scuffle right after Katie went missing, and ever since then, Robert’s holed himself up at the mansion. He never comes into town, just stays up there by himself.”

“He doesn’t leave the house at all?” Aaron asked, shocked.

“He’s a strange one,” Chas agreed. She leaned forward conspiratorially then. “Want to hear something else? I never saw him, not even once, while I was working there!”

“Weird,” Aaron agreed. “But none of this explains why you’re having money problems. And since when did you work there?”

“I was getting to that,” Chas told him, looking embarrassed. “Well, Katie was one of the women he cheated on, wasn’t she? She left Andy for him, and then he went and started seeing Sadie King behind her back. I’d have disliked Robert for that alone, but then the whole circumstances with the blizzard… Anyway, that was all a while ago now, but a couple months back I had drinks with some mates, and we got to talking about Katie. Ended up battering one of his fancy cars after I got drunk.”

“Mum, you could have been arrested!” Aaron said. And here she was, always telling him to stay out of trouble! She needed to follow her own advice.

“Don’t you think I know that?” she cried, getting to her feet and starting to pace. “It was stupid, and I got caught right away. He has these CCTV cameras, and - anyway, he didn’t report me, but he wanted me to pay off the damages.”

“So why not just ask Cain to fix the car?” Aaron asked.

“That’s what I did. Cain and I got on the phone with Robert and tried to work something out. He doesn’t even care about the car! He has about five others anyway, and the one I smashed up is just sitting there unused because he wants me to pay for the damages myself!”

“He what?”

“I know! It’ll take me a year at least to pay it off.” Chas stopped pacing and stood there with her arms crossed. “He hired me as a maid, and my wages go directly toward the car. Then, once I’ve worked it off, he’ll take the car to go get fixed.”

“A year, you said? So how long has it been, then?”

“I worked a month. But I ended up quitting when you came back, because I wanted to be there for you if you needed me.”

“Mum, you could have said!” he told her. “I’d never have asked you to quit for me.”

“It was my decision, love! Anyway, you’re back home now, and that makes me so happy, you have no idea,” she told him, sitting back down next to him and reaching out to run her hand over his arm.

“So then what’s the plan now? Can we just pool our money together and write him a check every month?”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Chas agreed. “If you don’t mind, that is?”

“Course not!” Aaron reassured her. “You’re always looking out for me. This is my way to pay you back.”

“You don’t have to pay me back, love,” Chas told him, smiling. “I’m your mum. I’d do anything for you.”

“I’d best be off to the garage then, eh?” Aaron got to his feet, then clutched his head. “Ugh! Where’re your pain killers?”

“Bathroom cabinet. And please feel free to use all the hot water you want! You stink!” she called out to him as he stumbled off.

“Cheers,” he said grumpily, but it was worth it when she smiled at him.

Aaron opened the door leading to the staircase, then hurriedly closed it behind him when he saw Finn running down the stairs. It would be clear to anyone who looked that the lad had spent the night with Aaron. He was all mussed, hair going every which way and his shirt buttoned up poorly. “You could have woken us up,” he complained as he stomped down the stairs, tugging his jacket on.

“Keep your voice down!” Aaron hissed, annoyed. The last thing he needed was Chas to find out he’d had a one off with Finn. She’d be playing matchmaker in a second.

“God, Eric’s going to kill me,” Finn whined, pausing at the foot of the stairs to do up the topmost buttons of his shirt.

Aaron crossed his arms and leaned a shoulder on the banister, frowning at the boy. “Right, well don’t let me stop you,” he said.

The door he’d just closed behind him opened, making Aaron straighten up and turn. It was almost a relief when Vic walked through instead of Chas. She was dressed for work in her chef’s uniform, and was clearly on her way out to throw away garbage judging by the large plastic bag she was carrying. Aaron’s relief at seeing her instead of his mum was short lived. When she took in the sight of them, both clearly the worse for wear after a night of heavy drinking, and Finn present when he shouldn’t have been, Vic came to the right conclusions.

“Oh, I see!” she exclaimed, thankfully closing the door behind her as she joined them in the staircase. She was looking sternly at Finn as she said, “Have a go at me all night for making assumptions and then jump into bed with him!” Aaron rubbed at his face, wishing this would just be over.

“Right, er, I need to get to work, so...” Finn was looking straight at Aaron when he spoke, seeming to ignore Vic. He stepped closer to Aaron, who tensed when he saw the younger boy start to lean in as if to kiss him goodbye.

Aaron averted his face as he rushed to say, “So I’ll see you later.” Finn paused. Aaron pressed his lips together awkwardly and gave a nod, hoping he’d take the hint. What was Finn even doing? The morning after a one off could be weird enough on it’s own. Adding a kiss to it was beyond weird.

Thankfully Finn backed off and then let himself out. Aaron shook his head. It had been a close call.

He started for the stairs, mind already shifting gears, going from Finn to his mum’s painkillers in a second. He heard Vic sigh, and when he turned he found her glaring at him. “What?” he demanded.

“You could have given him a little kiss.”

Aaron frowned at that. “It was a mistake, alright?” Shaking his head, Aaron climbed the stairs. His first day of freedom wasn’t going even remotely close to how he’d expected it to.

*****

Chas was waiting when he came home from work. At first, Aaron thought she was just continuing to celebrate his return. She had cooked more of his favorites for dinner, and had his plate and a bottle of beer laid out for him at the table. He sank gratefully onto one of the kitchen chairs and dug in. It was delicious.

It was a few minutes before he realized that Chas was just standing in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she watched him eat. “What?” he asked, his mouth full.

“I called Robert Sugden today,” she told him.

Aaron swallowed his mouthful, reaching for his beer to help wash it down. “Yeah? So what happened?” he asked before shoveling another forkful into his mouth.

Chas came to sit down at the table with him. “Well, I told him that with your help, we could start mailing him a nice check every month. I said the two of us together can pay off my debt to him faster than just me alone.”

“And?” Aaron prompted her when she didn’t continue.

“He said no.”

“What? Why?”

“Apparently, he’s doing me a favor by not calling the police about the car,” she said, gritting her teeth as she fought back her irritation. “He says he can’t be sure I’ve learned my lesson if I let my brother fix the car or my son help me pay for the damages.”

“That’s bollocks!”

“Oh, that’s not all,” Chas told him, giving him her best I’m-trying-really-hard-not-to-scream smile. “He’s upset that I decided to quit last month, and wouldn’t take any of his calls. So for the next month, to make up for the time I missed, he wants me to work for him full time.”

“What about the pub? You can’t be Diane’s business partner and still work for him full time. Speaking of Diane, what’s she got to say about all this. Robert’s her stepson, isn’t he. Can’t she talk to him?”

“I don’t know,” Chas said, resting her forehead in her hands as she slumped over the table. “I haven’t told Diane yet, but even if I did, I don’t think she could help. She’s not on speaking terms with Robert anymore. Neither are Victoria or Andy. I think the man might be mad! It’s not just full time hours he wants me for. He says he wants me to pack my stuff for the month to go and be his live-in maid!”

“No,” Aaron said, shaking his head as he set his fork down. That just wasn’t going to happen.

“What choice do I have?” Chas asked, raising her face to look at him.

“We’ll call Cain. We’ll gather the family and go have a chat with him.” The Dingles had a reputation in Emmerdale for a reason. You messed with one of them, and you messed with all of them.

“Yeah, after which he’ll call the police, and I’ll be arrested for destroying his property! I messed up, Aaron! I just have to accept it, and do what I have to.”

Nothing he said would make her change her mind. Chas was planning on heading to Home Farm tomorrow morning. She wanted Aaron to take her place at the pub instead of working at the garage with Cain and Debbie. He’d do anything for her, of course, but that wasn’t what he had in mind, and he told her so. There were plenty of times when Chas had helped Aaron out of seemingly hopeless situations. There was no way he was letting her do this! Robert was taking advantage of Chas’ fear of being sent down. Aaron was going to see to it that Robert stopped bothering his mum. He would head to Home Farm with her tomorrow and see if he couldn’t talk some sense into Robert Sugden.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy! I did poke the tiniest bit of fun at the Disney version of Beauty & the Beast in this chapter, just because I remember accepting the Beast's behavior when I was a kid without really thinking too hard on it. But when you do start thinking about it, the Beast is kinda crazy lol! He's still one of my favorite Disney princes ever. I guess I like the crazy.
> 
> This has really helped take my mind off all the angst I'm writing for "When She Fell." For those of you reading that fic, my next post will probably be on Friday night. I'm trying to continue posting twice a week, even though this AU fic has taken over my life!

In retrospect, Aaron probably shouldn’t have told Chas his plans to go with her when she left for Home Farm. She got the jump on him by sneaking out that night, and sending him a text that he didn’t read until he woke in the morning. But if she thought that would be enough to stop him from having a chat with Robert, she was mistaken.

He made his way to Home Farm alone that morning, with the sun only just rising. Aaron hadn’t gotten around to buying a car yet, since he’d been in prison for most of his time back in the country. He had to walk the five miles to Home Farm. When he finally made his way up the drive toward the mansion, he thought for a moment that he’d have to turn right back around. The mansion was surrounded by a tall, imposing fence. It was blocking his way, and it didn’t look easy to climb or break into. Unwilling to throw in the towel just yet, he walked up the drive and pulled at the gate.

It was unlocked.

“Who installs a fence and then doesn’t lock it?” he muttered, shaking his head. His mum had probably had no trouble getting to that car she’d battered. It was likely sitting in a fancy garage that was also unlocked. Aaron followed the walkway to the front door, then looked around, but couldn’t spot a doorbell. He reached up and grabbed hold of one of the old fashioned brass knockers. It was cold and heavy in his grip, and it rattled the door when he knocked.

“Bloody hell!” he heard his mum exclaim from inside. He was not surprised when she was the one who pulled the door open.

“Aaron?” she said, surprised. “What are you doing here? And do you realize how loud that flaming thing is? I thought the door was going to break!”

“He doesn’t have a doorbell,” Aaron said, shrugging as he looked around curiously. Everything inside looked shadowy and slightly eerie, but at least the entryway had sunlight coming in from some windows. He took note of the bucket of soapy water sitting in the middle of a wet patch on the floor, and the floor scrub sitting next to it.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Chas told him, looking worried.

“Hang on,” Aaron said, pointing at the bucket and scrub brush. “Is he making you scrub the floor?”

“Look, you should go before he sees you here.”

“No, I’m not leaving you here with some psycho that makes you scrub floors on your hands and knees! Hasn’t he heard of a mop?”

“What are you doing here? Who are you?” a man asked.

Aaron startled, whirling around to gaze through the doorway to his right. The curtains in that room must have been the blackout kind, because without a light on, it was completely dark in there. He could just barely see a man’s form moving through the room toward the doorway. Robert stopped before actually leaving the room, so that he was still just out of sight.

Irritated at being caught by surprise, Aaron’s voice was rough with annoyance when he asked, “Are you Robert Sugden?” Given that Robert lived here by himself, it was a good bet he was, but Aaron wanted to be sure.

“Who’s asking?” the man asked suspiciously.

Aaron rolled his eyes. “You may as well have just said yes! That’s the same as admitting to it without actually saying so.”

“Who are you, why are you in my house, and what do you want?” Robert asked angrily. Damn it, he hadn’t meant to rile him up! Aaron bit his lip, frustrated.

“My name’s Aaron Livesy. I’m-”

“Chas’ son,” Robert finished for him. “What do you want? I have more important things to do than talk to bottom feeders like you.”

“Hey!” Chas exclaimed indignantly, but Aaron shook his head at her to stop her from running her mouth off.

It was a struggle to bite his tongue and not say anything that might make things worse for his mum. The sudden and complete animosity from a total stranger was unexpected and unwelcome. The man clearly had a beastly temper, and Aaron rather thought he was doing the world a favor by staying locked up in this mansion of his. “I wanted to talk to you about that deal you’ve got with my mum.”

“And this concerns you how?”

“She’s my mum,” he said, feeling like that was answer enough. “She’s made a massive mistake, I get that, but… She says you want her to live here for the next month, to pay off the damages to the car she battered.”

“No, I want her to stay here for a month to make up for the time she’s missed,” Robert corrected him, still standing in the shadows. “A month isn’t going to cover the damages. She did quite a number on my Audi R8; practically totaled it.”

“Look, she knows what she did was wrong and she’s sorry for it! Making her stay at Home Farm isn’t going to teach her a lesson. Let her write you a monthly check. I’ll help her make the payments.”

“So she’s got you trying to fix things for her now?”

“How dare-” Aaron grabbed his mum’s arm, once again shaking his head at her. She quieted down, but she glared at the dark doorway where Robert stood, with a look on her face like she’d just sucked on a sour lemon.

“Tell me,” Robert said, “is she forcing you to help, or are you just feeling guilty for being a rubbish son? I’ve heard about you. I imagine you must be quite a disappointment to her. How proud do you think she is to have a son who’s on suspended sentence?”

Aaron was speechless for a moment, his rage was so overwhelming. His intentions of trying not to ruin things for his mum went out the window. He opened his mouth to give Robert a piece of his mind, but his mum was already talking. “Who do you think you are?” she demanded. “I love my son! I am proud to be his mother, and I know he didn’t do anything wrong, so the courts can just shove their suspended sentence up their arses!”

“I might be a rubbish son,” Aaron spoke up, “but at least I know it, and I try to make up for it. I’ll do whatever it takes to help her! She doesn’t deserve this. I’ll go to the police myself and explain the situation if I have to. Even they’ve got to be better than dealing with you!”

The room was quiet for several seconds; long enough that Aaron had a chance to reign in his temper. “Maybe you should just mind your own business,” Robert finally suggested.

“She is my business.”

There was another long silence. “You’d do anything for her?”

“Anything.”

“Even take her place?”

“What?” Aaron asked, confused.

“Aaron, no!” Chas warned him. “Go back to the pub and mind things for me. I’m fine here, alright?”

“I want you here,” Robert told him, ignoring Chas. “I’ll provide everything you’ll need. If you’re so eager to help your mum out, then you won’t mind taking her place for the next month.”

Fed up with talking at shadows and not being able to see the man, Aaron said, “Are you going to stand there in the dark all day, or are you going to step into the light where I can see you?” Robert stepped forward into the foyer, where the daylight coming in through the windows was bright enough to see by. Aaron sighed, annoyed. Of course the man was good looking. Aaron probably should have expected it after hearing about Robert’s cheating ways. He didn’t know much about women, but he’d bet they weren’t lining up to have affairs with unattractive blokes. Even so, he’d found himself picturing Robert as ugly on the outside as he was on the inside.

To be honest, he was a bit tongue tied by his sudden interest in Robert, who was too handsome for his own good. Aaron couldn’t help but notice how the sunlight coming in through the windows in the entryway gilded the man’s blond hair so that it looked golden, and how the warm light brightened his face. It was fortunate that Robert started talking before it became obvious that Aaron was gawking. 

“I’m letting you take Chas’ place, but you have to promise to stay here for a full month. Same terms as I gave her. You’ll live here and do as I say, or we have no deal.”

He could already tell he was going to regret this. Aaron straightened his shoulders, holding his chin up high. “You have my word.”

“Done.”

Aaron was tempted to roll his eyes at Robert, but Chas started protesting. Robert walked over, grabbed Chas by the arm, and hustled her out. He closed the door and locked it up. It wasn’t a second before she started banging on the door, crying out, “Let me in!” It was a very thick door, and it muffled the sounds she was making.

“Mum, just go!” Aaron told her. He heard his phone go off a moment later, and he was unsurprised to see it was her.

“How thick is this door? I could barely hear you,” she complained.

Before he could say anything, Robert came over and snatched the phone from his grasp. “Sorry Chas, Aaron’s busy. In fact, he’s going to be busy for the rest of the month. I’m confiscating his phone so that he doesn’t get distracted. Don’t call back. And don’t stand out there knocking. You’ll only make it worse for him if you do.” Robert ended the call, and then powered down the phone. To Aaron’s amazement, he actually did confiscate it, slipping it into his own pocket. Chas did not try knocking again, which was a relief. He didn’t want to imagine what kind of stuff Robert would ask him to clean if she had.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye,” Aaron finally protested when Robert just raised an eyebrow at him, as if daring him to try and take the phone back. “I’m not going to see her for a month! The least you could have done was let me talk to her for a bit.”

For a split second, Robert almost looked ashamed. Aaron was sure he must have imagined it though, because then the older man gave him a cocky smirk and started toward the stairs to the second floor. “I’ll show you to your room.”

“My room?” Aaron asked, surprised. With the way Robert had been treating him so far, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the man wanted Aaron to start working right away.

“What, you want to stay here and finish scrubbing the floors?”

“No, but-”

“Then follow me.” It was either follow him or stand around like an idiot, so Aaron sighed and began climbing the stairs after Robert.

When he had first walked in, he’d been struck by the mansion’s shadowy interior. Now Aaron couldn’t help but notice how dark and oppressive it was. Most of the curtains were drawn, blanketing the house in darkness. There was also a quietness about the place, which made Aaron want to hum or whistle - anything to break the silence. This place was gloomy, and if he had been the sort to get fanciful, he’d have said the mansion felt like it was filled with despair. He was a bit creeped out to be honest. Thankfully it was a short walk to his room, which Robert unlocked with the use of an actual skeleton key.

“Er, I hope you like it here,” Robert said, somewhat awkwardly. It was exactly the kind of awkward shyness Aaron would expect from a recluse. If village gossip was accurate, Robert hadn’t spoken to any of them in over a year. “Home Farm is your home for the month, so you can go anywhere you want,” Robert told him. A thought seemed to occur to the other man then, and he gave Aaron a threatening glare. “Except the West Wing,” he added.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Aaron said when Robert didn’t bother to explain. “What’s in the West Wing?”

“It’s forbidden!” Robert shouted, startling Aaron with his strong reaction. He stared at the blond like he’d grown a second head. Robert was visibly struggling with his temper, so Aaron eased around him and went into his new room. As he stepped inside, Robert spoke from behind him. “If you need anything, just ask. And you’ll join me for lunch. That’s not a request!”

Aaron whirled around, but Robert had slammed the door shut. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he muttered, walking over and trying the handle. It was locked. Slamming his fist against the thick wooden door, Aaron swore. So much for being able to go anywhere he wanted! Who did Robert think he was? Furious, Aaron spent the next half hour tearing the room apart in a search for something he could use as a lock pick.

Eventually he had to admit defeat on getting himself out of the room. What good was knowing how to pick locks if you didn’t have anything that even resembled a lock pick? As gratifying as it would have been to escape, Aaron was left with only one way to spite the older man. Robert could suck it if he thought Aaron was going to meekly join him for lunch. He was here to work off his mum’s debt, not play companion to some nutter.

Warming up to the idea of rebelling, Aaron reevaluated his surroundings. Now he was searching for items he could shove up in front of the door as a barricade. He’d made a mess of things in his frantic search, but the room itself was big and comfortable looking. It even had an en suite. With Robert treating him as a prisoner, he supposed he should be thanking his lucky stars he wasn’t expected to use a bucket in the corner.

There was a giant bed taking up a large portion of one wall, and it was so big that Aaron wasn’t even going to consider trying to move it in front of the door. It was large enough to fit an entire rugby team on it, and it was done up in black satin sheets with a decadent mound of pillows heaped on top. Aaron eyed it suspiciously. It was a bit… much for a guest room, wasn’t it? Some cotton sheets might have been more customary. He hoped Robert was just a horrible person, and not a horrible person who was also deranged and thought Aaron was signing up to fulfill some kind of sick maid fetish. Aaron was definitely not doing anything more than a bit of dusting and vacuuming!

Choosing to ignore the lush bed for now, Aaron finally chose a heavy wardrobe and a bookcase to shove up against the door. With that done, he had nothing left to do but wait for Robert to come back. It was so boring he finally just curled up on the lavish bed and took a nap. Satin sheets or no, it was so comfortable he felt like he was sleeping on soft clouds.

He woke to the sound of Robert pounding on the door. “I thought I told you to come down for lunch!” the man shouted from the other side of the door.

Aaron smirked as he stretched his muscles. “I’m not hungry,” he called out, even as his stomach growled. Thankfully Robert couldn’t hear that.

“Come out now or I’ll- I’ll break down the door!” Aaron didn’t even bother to dignify that threat with an answer. Last time he’d checked, Robert was only human, so until he turned into the incredible hulk, Aaron was pretty confident the door was staying put. “Why are you being so difficult?” Robert finally asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“Maybe because you locked me in this room and you were an arse when you asked me to have lunch with you?” Aaron suggested reasonably, shifting onto his belly and resting his head on his crossed arms.

There was a tense silence on the other side of the door. Aaron was shocked when instead of more yelling, Robert’s voice quieted. “Will you come down for lunch?”

Robert might not have shouted that time, but he still sounded grudging. “No,” Aaron said.

Sounding like he was talking through gritted teeth, Robert said, “I’d really like it if you would join me for lunch. Please.”

It was actually kind of… cute. That he was trying so hard to get Aaron to come out and eat with him. He almost gave in, but then decided against it. Robert had to learn that locking guests in their rooms so they couldn’t run away wasn’t okay. “No thanks,” Aaron called out politely.

His refusal was clearly the last straw for Robert. Turning into a complete beast, the other man yelled, “You can’t stay in there forever!”

“Yes I can!” Aaron taunted him.

“Fine! Then go ahead and STARVE!” Robert shouted. “If you don’t eat with me, then you don’t eat at all! I asked you nicely, but I won’t beg, Aaron.” Several seconds later, Aaron heard a distant door slam. It was the only way he knew that Robert had gone.

He actually felt bad about it now. Yes, Robert was strange, he had terrible manners, and he had a spotty understanding of how it was acceptable to treat people, but it was actually nice of him to ask Aaron down for lunch. Chas said that she’d worked for Robert an entire month without seeing him. The older man had not only met him at the door to figure out who Aaron was, but he’d tried his hardest to get Aaron to have lunch with him. Maybe he was ready to stop living a life of isolation and join the real world again. Whatever people in the village thought about Robert for the part he’d played in Katie’s death, he had clearly been broken up about it. He had to have been gutted over it to have willingly exiled himself from the village.

Aaron had plenty of food for thought, but that didn’t make his stomach feel any better. He hadn’t planned his resistance out very well. He was now very hungry. Getting up from the bed, he moved aside the wardrobe and the bookcase. When he tried the doorknob, he found that Robert had left it unlocked. Aaron wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or not, so he poked his head out into the hallway cautiously. Seeing it was deserted, he made his way to the stairs and down to the foyer. It took a bit of poking around, but it wasn’t difficult to find the kitchen.

Robert had made it clear that Aaron wasn’t to eat unless they were sharing a meal together, but he didn’t think the older man would notice if he made off with a glass of water and a crust of bread or something. Opening the fridge, Aaron stared, surprised at how packed it was. Was Robert planning some kind of feast? Shaking his head, he managed to scrounge some vegetables that probably wouldn’t be missed. He’d have preferred something else, but if he had wanted a decent meal, he probably shouldn’t have turned down Robert’s invitation.

Once his stomach was no longer trying to gnaw on his backbone, Aaron started to get curious about the mansion. After his nap this afternoon, he definitely wasn’t ready for sleep. And Robert had told him that he could go anywhere he liked, barring the mysterious West Wing. Deciding that if he got caught, he’d remind Robert of that, Aaron gave himself a tour.

The lower level was pretty standard. Besides the kitchen and the foyer, there was a dining room and a large parlor. The darkened room that Robert had appeared from when Aaron had first entered the mansion turned out to be a home office. It made him wonder what exactly Robert did there. Did he work? If he did, what exactly did he do? And why did he do it? Chas had told him that Robert had loads of money after his rich wife passed away, possibly after killing herself when she had learned Robert wasn’t faithful. If he had so much money to fall back on, why bother working? Why stick around here, where everyone in the village clearly hated his guts?

It intrigued Aaron, but he decided it might be going a bit too far to start looking through paperwork in order to figure out what Robert did for a living. Aaron headed back upstairs, and then paused. He looked left, then right. His room was to the left, and there were several doors in that direction that he could try. They were probably just more bedrooms. The hall to the right looked like it was being used as storage. There were dusty boxes, broken furniture and cobweb covered statuettes and paintings lined up against the walls. And at the very end of the hallway was a set of double doors.

He wondered if this was the West Wing that Robert had warned him not to explore. Aaron did consider leaving well enough alone and heading back to his own room, but… He was curious. What was Robert hiding? And more importantly, was it something that Aaron really ought to know about, considering that he was stuck here for the next month, living with a complete stranger? For all he knew, Robert could be some kind of psychopath. He’d already locked Aaron in his room like some kind of prisoner, which just wasn’t normal. And it was a bit dodgy, wasn’t it, having a forbidden section of the house?

So Aaron turned right at the top of the stairs, glancing at the boxes and the broken furniture lining the hallway with some curiosity. It was the double doors he was interested in, though. He didn’t stop to check the boxes, but walked past them until he had reached the oversized doors. Aaron was both surprised and not when he found the door unlocked. After making such a big stink about it, one could expect Robert to lock up the forbidden area. But then, he hadn’t locked his front gate either, had he? And he hadn’t locked up his car, or Chas could never have gotten to it in the first place.

Aaron took a deep breath and pushed the door open, then took a cautious step in. The place was a mess. Maybe the rest of the house was gloomy, but it was at least clean. This was a jumble of furniture and clutter. Most of the things in here looked like they’d been broken apart with a baseball bat (and Aaron would know, having had a fondness for doing that sort of thing when he was a kid). It looked less like Robert was trying to hide involvement in something dodgy and more like he was trying to hide something that was bothering him. Most men didn’t keep rubbish rooms where they regularly battered everything within sight unless they were covering up something that was hurting them inside.

After getting therapy for self-harming, Aaron was pretty sure he knew what he was talking about. Maybe Robert wasn’t cutting himself up like Aaron had, but he was certainly fighting some kind of demons to make a wreck of this room like he had. Now Aaron definitely felt like he was intruding. He almost backed out, but he hesitated. Back when he was hurting himself, he’d had his mum and Paddy to look out for him. He’d had Cain, and Adam. Who did Robert have? If there was anyone for him to turn to for help, he wouldn’t be living like this. Aaron didn’t know what, if anything, he could do for Robert, but one thing he wouldn’t do was ignore the issue. So instead of leaving, he walked further into the room.

A pair of French doors stood open opposite the double doors he entered through. They lead out to what looked like a large balcony. Drawn toward it by the fresh air puffing through it and the sound of thunder that rolled in, Aaron headed that way to close the French doors so rain wouldn’t get in. He paused before he got there, distracted by a lone table. It was immediately noticeable because it was the only thing in the room unbroken and clearly cared for. The area around the table was completely cleared. It sat in the middle of the cluttered room, the calm in the eye of the storm of destruction around it.

Aaron knew it held something special, even before he approached it.

On top of the small table was a framed picture. There was a brown haired woman, posed in front of a blue background and holding a smiling toddler on her lap. The baby looked so much like the woman in the photo that there was no question it was a mother and daughter portrait. Maybe this was the wife that was rumored to have committed suicide after Robert cheated on her. But then where was the baby now? If this was Robert’s daughter, shouldn’t she be living with him?

The only other object on the table was a pink rose. It had been dried and preserved, protected under a delicate glass dome. The picture paired with the fragile looking flower gave Aaron an idea of what had happened to both the woman and the baby. Now he really felt bad about intruding.

Movement in front of him caught his eye. Glancing up, he saw Robert coming in off the balcony just as a loud clap of thunder sounded and the first huge drops of rain began to strike. Aaron froze as Robert stared at him, surprised to find him there. Once he was over the shock, his expression grew furious. Aaron hastily stepped away from the table, but somehow he knocked into it and nearly sent the picture tumbling to the floor. He fumbled for it, barely managing to catch it.

Robert was at his side immediately, shouldering Aaron out of the way and holding his hands protectively over the picture and the covered rose. “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

“I-I’m sorry,” Aaron said, trying to think of anything he could say that would make this better.

Robert’s shoulders were filled with tension, and Aaron watched him warily as he turned around to face him. “I warned you never to come here,” Robert said, voice tight with suppressed rage, as if he was struggling not to yell.

“I’m sorry,” Aaron said helplessly. “I didn’t mean any harm by it.”

“Do you realize what you could have done?” Robert asked, voice rising with each word. He started walking toward Aaron, who began backing up, hands raised to show he wasn’t going to try anything. For some reason, that seemed to set Robert off. He grabbed a broken chair leg up off the floor and threw it across the room. “Get out!” he shouted, lunging for something else and hurling that too. “GET OUT!”

Aaron continued to back out as Robert threw things around. He didn’t want to turn his back and go for the door, worried the angry man might pitch something at the back of his head. “Promise or no promise, I’m not staying here!” he called out to Robert as he finally reached the door. Aaron stepped out of the room and slammed the big door shut. He made for the stairs and hurried down to the entryway. There was no way he was staying there for one second longer!

The rain was falling in large globs that had his clothes soaked through within seconds of him leaving the mansion. Sighing, he picked up his pace, jogging as his shoes filled with water. It would have been easier to just wait out the storm in the bedroom Robert had given him, but Aaron wasn’t willing to stay. The man clearly had issues, and that was saying something coming from him. Maybe he hadn’t thrown anything directly at Aaron this time, but who could say what would happen the next time Robert got upset?

Aaron ran down the drive and onto the road, blinking water from his eyes and trying to see more than three meters ahead of him. The clouds overhead were boiling black, despite the fact that nightfall wasn’t for hours yet. Lightening flashed, briefly throwing the landscape around him into bright relief. The peel of thunder that came seconds later rattled Aaron’s bones.

Swearing, he quickened from a jog to a run. Aaron fell into a rhythm, trying to ignore the discomfort of running through a storm. He couldn’t very well ignore it when the hail started to fall. “Bollocks!” he shouted as the little bits of ice started battering him. Another flash of lightning revealed that up ahead there was a wooded patch of road. Figuring the branches might offer some kind of cover, Aaron sprinted full out until he reached the safety of the trees.

He’d only just gotten under the branches and slowed to a jog when he saw a sweep of high beams as a car drove up behind him. Turning, Aaron started waving his arms, hoping to hitch a ride. He froze when the car not only didn’t slow, but seemed to be coming right at him! He realized then that in his attempts to flag the car down, he’d strayed further out into the road. Heart in his throat, Aaron threw himself to the side, squeezing his eyes shut and hoping he made it out of the way before the car struck him down.


	3. Chapter 3

Nothing could have prepared Robert for this day. He was so confused and hurt when he found Aaron at the table, looking down at the picture and the rose. Robert hadn’t been able to stop himself from screaming and throwing things around. The sight of Aaron’s face, so worried and cautious just pushed him over the edge. It wasn’t until the younger man had backed out of the room and slammed the door shut that he came to his senses. One moment he just wanted Aaron out, but the second he was gone, Robert had felt the loss. He had fallen to his knees, chest heaving as he was left alone with his sad memories and his useless rage.

He had been so alone for so long. The deal he’d worked out with Chas was done as much to have someone else around the house as it was to make her pay for the damage she’d done to his car. He’d already come to regret his choice within minutes of her arriving the night before. She hated him because of Katie. It was clear in what she said and how she behaved toward him, so Robert kept his distance, only ever speaking to her through the intercom system the house was equipped with.

Robert couldn’t very well blame Chas for hating him. Katie had died because of him. She had arrived at his front door in the middle of a blizzard, and Robert hadn’t even bothered to hear her out. Katie had been picking at him since he arrived back in Emmerdale, asking him about his marriage to Louisa and spreading rumors about her committing suicide. He could only be grateful Katie had never found out about his daughter. He may very well have killed her on purpose if she’d spread any lies about Isabelle.

He couldn’t remember ever thinking it was odd that Katie was stopping by Home Farm to harass him in the middle of a snow storm. Robert had been so certain that’s why she was there, he hadn’t questioned it. She had tried to explain, but he’d called her all sorts and told her to leave. He had been grateful when she did, but he could never forget now what she’d said to him before turning around and walking back out into the storm. “Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but some day you’re going to take a look at yourself in the mirror and hate the person you’ve become. You might be able to fool people at first, but once your true colors show? No one is ever going to love you, not for who you are on the inside. That’s your curse, Robert. One day everyone is going to know what a horrible person you are, and they’re going to despise you as much as I do.”

Robert had laughed in her face and shut the door, unknowingly leaving Katie to her death. He hadn’t bothered to hear her out, so he hadn’t known her car had stalled, and she was stranded. To this day he didn’t know why she hadn’t tried harder to get in the house, or why she hadn’t phoned Andy for help. According to his brother, she’d called him to let him know she was walking up to Home Farm. Maybe her phone had run out of battery after Robert had turned her away. Maybe she didn’t have a signal. No one would ever know for sure.

They all blamed him for her death, maybe rightfully. Robert hadn’t killed her, but he hadn’t given her shelter when she had needed it. Andy had beaten him to within an inch of his life once the search for Katie had been called off. Vic and Diane were disgusted by him and refused to take his calls. Katie had been generally liked in the village, whereas Robert had been generally disliked, so once everyone heard what had happened they turned on him. It was like Katie had cursed him with her last words.

On top of what had happened with Louisa and Isabelle, it had all been too much for him to take.

So Robert closed himself up at Home Farm. As time passed, it was easier and easier to believe that Katie had been right. Robert had driven his family and friends away with his behavior. There must be something wrong with him, something on the inside. Robert had always feared being alone, and it wasn’t long before he felt certain that no one would ever love him. Not for who he was at least. He could still flatter and lie his way into most people’s pants, but it was all just one big deception. And now that he had money of his own, he had to be careful about attracting the sort of person that would say or do anything to rope him in. He had to be careful about people like him.

Either way, whether he was with someone he’d flattered into bed or someone who had flattered him into bed, it never lasted. The second the real him surfaced, no one wanted anything to do with him. Eventually he just stopped trying. He kept his distance from everybody, until the only people he talked to now were all clients of his. The hopelessness that filled him every day drained him of the will to change his life, or alter his situation. Why even bother trying when there was no hope?

And then Aaron had shown up, looking for Chas. Robert had heard the loud knock at the door, and when he had gotten up to check who it was, he found Chas had already let the stranger in. He had just stood there, watching Aaron and Chas speak, not even registering what they were saying to each other. There was something about Aaron that was so very alive. Robert couldn’t get enough of his expressions, or the sound of his raspy voice that carried his emotions so well. The concern and the frustration so evident when he spoke to Chas struck a chord inside of Robert. He could hardly explain why he found it so appealing. It was just so… genuine, and real.

It had taken him a moment to gather himself enough to say something. Then, of course, he said all the wrong things. Robert had insulted Aaron and made an arse of himself. Still, he counted it an overall success since he’d managed to get Aaron to agree to stay at Home Farm for a month.

That was the only good thing that happened. He messed everything else up. If only Robert hadn’t locked Aaron in his room! He was sure the younger man wouldn’t have been so cross with him if he had just left the door open. Robert had felt vulnerable after asking Aaron to have lunch with him, and he’d locked the door out of some misguided notion that if he could just make sure Aaron didn’t run off on him, then he could have a chance to win him over. Instead, Aaron had retaliated by barricading himself in the room and refusing to come out. Robert knew he had overreacted when Aaron wouldn’t cooperate, but he just couldn’t help himself.

He yelled and made threats before stomping off and shutting himself in his private room. There, he stared at the picture of his wife and daughter until he couldn’t take it anymore and went out to sit on the balcony. It was his favorite spot in the house. He sat out there and thought about Aaron, and about Louisa and Isabelle, until it was about to rain. His shock at coming back in and finding Aaron standing over the picture of his dead wife and child, and the equally dead rose Isabelle had picked for him the day before she died, had frozen Robert in place for a moment. Then the fury had set in.

Robert regretted his behavior as soon as Aaron backed out of the room and slammed the door shut. He’d despaired at Aaron’s words, that promise or no promise, he couldn’t stand to live under the same roof as Robert for even a full 24 hours. Robert had collapsed into a miserable heap. “I’m just fooling myself,” he said to the empty room, as he was once more so terribly alone. “He’ll never see me as anything but a monster. It’s hopeless.” He sat feeling sorry for himself until the storm really started to pick up. He’d made himself go and check Aaron’s room, possibly hoping to apologize. It was only then that he realized Aaron hadn’t decided to wait out the storm. He’d gone out there, that desperate to get away from Robert.

It was like Katie all over again.

Panicking, Robert rushed out to the garage and got in his Austin-Healey. If he’d been in his right mind, he would have chosen a car that was more practical for the rain. It was the closest one to him when he entered the garage, and the keys were already in the ignition, so he got in and drove off. It wasn’t long before the rain blinded him. Then it started to hail, the large pellets of ice striking him painfully on the head and arms because he’d been too stupid to take a car that actually had a roof. There were a dozen cars he could have chosen, and this is the one he picked!

Wiping the rain from his eyes, Robert lowered his arm and finally found Aaron. He was about two meters in front of Robert, shocked face lit up by the headlights of the car as Robert ran him down.

He slammed on the brakes, car skidding along the wet road as he tried to avoid hitting Aaron. Robert saw the younger man leap to the side, trying to save himself. It was close, so close. He was shaking uncontrollably when the car finally came to a stop. “Aaron!” he shouted, turning the car off and getting out. “Aaron!” he called, not seeing the younger man anywhere, even when a flash of lightning lit everything up. Robert backtracked to where he had last seen the younger man, looking around desperately for him. It wasn’t until another bolt of lightning came that he found him.

Aaron had managed to dive off the side of the road, and had rolled a small ways down the hill the road sat on top of. “Aaron?” Robert called out for him.

“You tried to run me over,” the younger man said, sounding dazed, shocked.

Relieved that he was at least able to talk, Robert started carefully making his way down to him. “Don’t move! I’m coming down to help you.”

“I think I twisted my ankle,” Aaron said as Robert drew nearer. There was runoff from the road, and the water was coming down the hill in rivers.

“I’ll help you,” Robert promised. “Just don’t move, okay? You might hurt it more. I’ll be right th-”

He lost his footing, arms pinwheeling as he fell forward. Robert hit the sopping ground, body rolling down the hill. He felt a blinding pain in his head as he cracked his skull on something, and he had a moment to wonder if he was going to vomit it hurt so bad. Then there was darkness.

*****

For a moment, Robert was sure he’d died and gone to heaven. He was dry, for one thing, and he didn’t expect to be. He was also warm. And he could have sworn for a moment that someone was stroking his hair gently, which was nice.

Then his head really started to hurt. Robert cracked his gritty eyes open, wincing at the light and closing them again. Groaning, he reached up with his right hand and started feeling his head. There was a large bump on the side of it, and it was tacky with dried blood.

“Don’t do that,” Aaron murmured. If Robert wasn’t feeling so horrible, he might have smiled. He was happy the younger man hadn’t been hurt too badly in the accident.

Opening his eyes again, Robert swallowed thickly, trying not to be sick. They were back at Home Farm, and he was laid out on a sofa in the large parlor. The electric fireplace had been switched on, and the cheerful yellow flames were lighting up the dark room and warming him up. Aaron was sitting sideways on the edge of the sofa, his hip and thigh pressing in against Robert’s side as he sprawled over the soft cushions. He was experiencing double vision. There were two Aarons leaning over him with a wet dish cloth in hand. The sight of identical hands moving toward him made him feel ill, so he turned his face to the side, trying to get away from the cloth Aaron was trying to use on him.

“Hold still,” Aaron ordered him, somewhat impatiently. He pressed the hot towel to the gash on the side of Robert’s head.

“Bloody-” Robert bit back a curse, wrenching his head away from the stinging cloth. “That hurts!”

“Alright, you big baby. If you'd hold still, it wouldn’t be so bad,” Aaron told him.

So now it was Robert’s fault he had a head injury? The unfairness of it irritated him, and he found the strength to argue even through the nausea. “If you hadn’t run away, none of this would have happened!”

“Run away? Seriously?” Aaron said. Robert looked over at him to see he’d raised his eyebrows. Thankfully the double vision seemed to be clearing up a bit, so that there was just one Aaron sitting next to him on the sofa, even if he was blurry around the edges. “What am I, a child? I didn’t run away, Robert. I left. There’s a difference. And anyway, if you hadn’t started chucking things at me and yelling at me to get out, I wouldn’t have left in the first place.”

“... Well, you shouldn’t have been in the West Wing!” Robert finally said, congratulating himself for having found a winning argument. It was the one rule he’d given Aaron, and the second his back was turned, he’d gone and invaded Robert’s privacy.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have been there, but if you’d given me a second I’d have apologized,” Aaron told him. “I thought you were some crazy psycho hiding dead bodies in there, or something. When I realized… well, I felt bad, didn’t I? You should really learn how to control your temper. And that’s saying something, coming from me!” Robert quieted down, simultaneously annoyed that he seemed to have lost the argument, intrigued that Aaron was standing up to him in a way that he couldn’t remember anyone doing effectively before, and sick to his stomach because he was pretty sure he had a concussion. Nodding as if he knew he’d won, Aaron said, “Hold still. This may sting a bit.”

Robert bit his lip as Aaron doused his cut with what felt like a bucket of alcohol. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to yell since Aaron seemed to dislike his temper so much. It took a while for the burning pain to subside, and it had been so bad that he hadn’t even realized at first that Aaron had cleaned up all the dried blood from the side of his face and from around the cut while he was hurting too much to protest. When the pain finally died down enough, Robert opened his eyes to glare at the younger man. “That smells like my good bourbon.”

Aaron shrugged, looking unapologetic as he held the bottle up to read the label. “It’s the first thing I saw when I went looking for something to clean your cut with.”

“There were like twenty other bottles in that liquor cabinet,” Robert said, not letting it go. “And you had to pick out my best bottle of bourbon.”

“Shut it, or I’ll bottle you and make a second lump on that thick skull of yours.” Robert settled down, feeling oddly content even though he was concussed and filthy after falling down a hill. The warmth he was feeling inside was either because of the electric fireplace Aaron had thoughtfully turned on for them, or because the younger man was leaning over him, dabbing his face with the warm towel. Robert was guessing it was the latter.

“By the way,” Aaron murmured softly as Robert basked in the heat and the caring touch of the other man’s hands, “I wanted to say… thanks. You know, for coming after me. Even though you nearly ran me down. And thanks for trying to help me when I fell. Even though you slipped and knocked yourself out.”

Robert tried to glare at Aaron, but he felt too relaxed. “You’re welcome,” he whispered, ready to fall asleep.

“Go on, go to sleep. But just so you know, I’m going to have to wake you a few times, make sure you’re not getting worse.”

“Mm,” Robert agreed drowsily. He could have sworn he felt a hand stroking his hair again, lulling him into sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

“It’s fixable,” Aaron said as Robert followed him out the front door. Robert came to a standstill when he saw his car. His beautiful steel blue Austin-Healey was completely ruined. Robert just stood there, trying to take in the sight of the damaged car parked haphazardly at the doorstep. Both of its doors were hanging open, doubtlessly left that way when Aaron had been trying to get Robert inside. The hail from the day before had dented the exterior in several places, and the leather seats were starting to prune from being soaked and air dried.

He was so busy staring in shock at his ruined car that he only belatedly realized Aaron had started to hobble forward. Robert rushed to grab hold of the younger man’s elbow, bracing him as he walked. “Let me help you,” he insisted.

Aaron pulled his arm away. “It’s a few steps away. I’ll be fine.”

Still, Robert hovered over him as Aaron walked the short distance to the car. He watched the younger man reach out to close the passenger side door, which was closest to the front door of the house.

“Are you sure your ankle is fine to walk on?” Robert asked, eyeing the way Aaron limped around the car to the driver’s side. Robert followed behind him, worried. “How did you even manage to get me back here yesterday?”

He didn’t miss the look Aaron gave him, like he thought Robert was daft. “I dragged you.”

“But up the hill? And then into the house?” Robert shook his head, impressed. He tried to slyly stare at Aaron’s strong back and arms while the younger man occupied himself with running his hands over the dents on the exterior of the car.

“Well, it wasn’t easy, was it? You know, if I call Cain he can drop off a few things from the garage. I can have the car good as new for you.”

Robert balked at having someone else come to his home, especially if that someone was Cain Dingle. “Can’t we just order whatever and have it delivered?”

“Yeah,” Aaron said, nodding in agreement. “We’ll order it from Cain, and he’ll deliver it here.”

Robert frowned at him and Aaron rolled his eyes, leaning his backside against the car and crossing his arms. Aaron had looked good in the black hoodie and jeans he’d worn the other day, but today he looked even better. The younger man hadn’t packed to stay at Home Farm for a month, so Robert had to loan him an outfit. Despite how much Aaron had complained at the trousers and button up shirt Robert had given him, he wore them well. Robert especially liked how he’d left the blue shirt with a few buttons undone at the top. It was true that Aaron’s own clothes had fit him better though. It left Robert unsure if he was this excited about Aaron’s outfit today because of how good it looked on him, or if it was because everything he was wearing belonged to Robert.

It was very hard to focus on the other man’s face and not to let his eyes travel over his body as Aaron leaned his arse against the car. It was hard, but not a hardship, if that made any sense. It was a good face to look at after all. He liked Aaron’s rugged shadow of scruff, and his reddened lips, and his straight nose. And his blue eyes.

Robert was more than a bit impressed with everything about Aaron, not just his physical appearance. It said something about Aaron that even after nearly getting hit by a car, then falling down the side of a slippery hill and twisting his ankle in the process, he had still helped Robert. Aaron clearly didn’t want to make a big deal of it, but he had somehow managed to ignore his own pain enough that he could drag an unconscious Robert back up the hill. He had then not only gotten Robert into the car, but Aaron had driven the Austin-Healey back to Home Farm despite the fact that having to use his left foot on the clutch while he shifted gears must have hurt. Instead of parking in the garage and waiting out the storm there, Aaron had driven straight to the house, dragged Robert inside, and somehow got him onto the sofa. He had walked around the house, gathering up supplies so that he could take care of Robert. The younger man must have been exhausted by that point, but he had still forced himself to stay awake so that he could periodically check on Robert. He hadn’t had access to an alarm after all, so he must have kept watch over Robert the entire night until he had finally dragged himself to a nearby armchair and passed out.

After all of that, here Aaron was, walking around the car again and examining it, ready to start fixing damages. Besides a slight limp and a couple of dark circles under his eyes, he showed no signs that he’d had a very eventful night yesterday. Robert found himself wanting to help Aaron, as the younger man had helped him last night. But besides allowing Robert to cook him breakfast, give him some painkillers, and (very grudgingly) help him up the stairs so he could bathe and get dressed, Aaron refused to sit still and let Robert care for him. That’s how they ended up outside, examining the Austin-Healey despite the fact that both of them should probably have been resting.

He couldn’t help but take it as a very good sign that Aaron was still there, wearing Robert’s clothes and fussing over the classic car. Aaron had clearly meant to leave for good when he’d gone out into the storm last night. Something had changed since then, or he would already be gone. Robert wasn’t sure what had happened to change his mind about leaving, but he was glad for it.

The younger man was seemingly unaware that he was being watched. It was a good thing too, because Robert only belatedly realized that he was sporting a stupid little smile on his face as he followed Aaron around the car. He immediately made himself stop doing both things. After all, he didn’t want to scare Aaron off! He wasn’t even sure if Aaron was into blokes. Obviously Robert was very interested, and he’d prefer if the younger man returned his interest. But even if Aaron was straight, Robert knew he just had to be around him. He needed him here. It was only day two of Aaron’s month at Home Farm, but already Robert felt better than he had in a year, at least.

There was just something about Aaron. Robert couldn’t remember ever feeling this way about anyone, not even his wife.

“I can definitely fix this,” Aaron told him. He had opened the passenger side door again and was bent over, feeling the damp carpeting.

“Maybe I can help?” Robert offered, walking up behind the other man so he could shamelessly stare at his behind. “I used to be a mechanic you know,” he added.

“Used to be? Were you any good at it?” Aaron asked him, straightening up.

Realizing he was developing a problem, Robert tried to act natural as he walked around the car to put himself on the opposite side from Aaron. “I was okay at it,” he answered. Thankfully it was only a semi, so it wasn’t overly obvious. “You’re probably a better mechanic than I am, but I’d like to help if you don’t mind.”

“Right, fine, as long as you don’t get in the way,” Aaron said, giving a shrug. He then turned his gaze away from Robert and back to the car.

Robert felt an overwhelming urge to do something or say something that would make Aaron look at him again. He wanted to impress Aaron, or maybe shower him with presents. But what could he give the younger man that wouldn’t make it seem like Robert was coming on too strong? Something traditional like a box of chocolates was completely out of the question. He thought hard as he watched Aaron smooth his hands over the dented side of the car again.

“I want to show you something,” Robert said, having a light bulb moment. “Do you think you can walk a bit further on your ankle?”

“Alright,” Aaron said, looking curious. Robert felt both excited and a little nervous as he lead Aaron toward the garage. They walked beside each other, and he couldn’t help reaching out to place a hand on Aaron’s back supportively as the younger man limped along. “Really, I’m fine you know,” Aaron told him when Robert touched him.

“I know, but it’s my fault you twisted your ankle. I’d hate if you lost your balance and twisted it again or something.” Aaron gave him a sideways look out of the corner of his eye, but didn’t say anything. He also didn’t pull away. Robert could feel the heat of Aaron’s skin through the shirt, and he struggled not to push his luck by rubbing his hand up and down the other man’s back. He wondered if maybe he was being too obvious. Still, he didn’t take his hand off of Aaron, leaving it resting mid back.

It was a short walk from the house to the large garage, or Robert wouldn’t have suggested going there. When they got to the door, Robert paused before opening it. “Close your eyes,” he said, excited.

Aaron raised his eyebrows at him. “Er, yeah, like that’s going to happen.”

“Come on, what do you think I’m going to do?” The younger man still looked skeptical. “It’s a surprise. I think you’re going to like it.”

“I swear, if you do anything stupid I’ll deck you,” Aaron warned him. With a last hard look at Robert, Aaron reluctantly closed his eyes. Robert finally moved his hand from Aaron’s back so he could step forward and open the garage door. He had a split second where he wasn’t sure how he wanted to lead Aaron forward. Would it be too much if he grabbed his hands to pull him in? If Aaron was straight and uninterested, he’d definitely think that was weird. So Robert gently touched his arm as he slipped around behind Aaron. Then he lightly grabbed both his shoulders and softly nudged him forward.

“Just a few more steps,” Robert reassured him, feeling the tension running through Aaron's shoulders. “Okay, wait here while I turn on the lights.” Robert went back toward the door and flipped the light switch.

“Can I open them?” Aaron asked, tone clearly showing he was just humoring Robert.

“No, no- not yet!” he said as he hurried back so he could watch Aaron’s face when he opened his eyes. Robert took just a second to stare at the younger man while he had his eyes closed, taking advantage of the fact that Aaron couldn’t see him staring. “Now!” he exclaimed, heart beating excitedly in his chest as he waited for a reaction.

Blue eyes blinking open, Aaron looked around the garage. They widened as they took in the sight of Robert’s car collection. The garage was actually quite large; large enough to fit a dozen cars. It was actually a converted horse barn. Each stall held a car, and there were six on either side of the long room. He hadn’t altered the layout of the barn when he had it converted, so there was still a center aisle that he (and now Aaron) could walk down to view each car in its individual stall.

Aaron started forward, gazing at the cars. Some of them were classics, like the Austin-Healey. Others were fancy sports cars. “Sound,” Aaron finally said, once he’d gotten halfway down the aisle of the garage.

“You like it?” Robert asked hopefully. He had remained standing by the door, but now he took slow steps toward Aaron. He was a mess, going between excitement and trepidation as he watched Aaron looking around.

“Yeah, I mean, this is impressive,” he said, now staring at the brand new Lamborghini Huracan Robert had bought a few months ago. “I wouldn’t mind getting behind the wheel of that.”

“It’s yours.”

“What?” Aaron glanced back over his shoulder at him, brows lowered as he gave Robert a questioning look.

Feeling flushed with embarrassment at the words he’d just blurted out, Robert came over to stand next to Aaron. He tried to save himself, saying, “It’s yours to test drive whenever you’d like.” Aaron actually cracked a smile then, but he hid it by ducking his head and continuing forward to see the rest of the cars. With Aaron’s back safely turned toward him, Robert facepalmed. He was willing to say or do anything to make Aaron like him. Including offer him a brand new Lamborghini, apparently.

“So this is it?” Aaron called out to him. Robert hastily lowered his hand and hurried to catch up to Aaron. The younger man had reached the end of the aisle, but he wasn’t asking if these were the only cars Robert owned. He was very clearly staring at one car in particular, and was now approaching the stall. Robert belatedly realized what had caught Aaron’s attention.

“Er…” Robert hesitated, wishing he’d thought about it before bringing Aaron here. He came up behind Aaron as the younger man tucked his hands in his pockets and regarded the white Audi.

“Sorry about my mum,” Aaron said, giving a shrug. “She left this well battered, didn’t she?”

“It still works,” Robert assured him. “The damages are mostly cosmetic.”

Aaron turned toward him, and Robert suddenly felt like an adolescent again, standing awkwardly in front of his crush. It was ridiculous what an affect the younger man had on him. Robert found himself also sticking his hands in his pockets so that they mirrored each other as they stood there. Aaron looked at him, expression earnest as he said, “I’m not sure my mum ever apologized to you. She shouldn’t have done that,” he said, nodding his head toward the Audi. “I guess I’m trying to say sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Robert murmured, feeling warmer all over as Aaron met his gaze.

“After we work on the Austin-Healey, maybe we can start on the Audi,” he suggested. “Doesn’t make sense to have it sitting here like this.”

“You don’t have to,” Robert protested, suddenly embarrassed that he hadn’t done anything about the Audi except hold it over Chas’ head.

Aaron shrugged. “It’ll give me something to do if I’m staying here a month.” He raised his eyebrows at Robert then, his lips quirked in a small half-smile. “And to be honest, I’m not cut out for sweeping and dusting. The whole maid thing isn’t really my kick.”

“Now you tell me,” Robert complained, finding himself grinning. “Let’s work on the Austin-Healey first, yeah? Then we’ll see about the Audi.”

“Deal,” Aaron said. They walked back out of the garage together. Robert felt lighter inside than he had in a long time, and it was all down to Aaron. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but it was hard not to. Not when he had this man to himself for an entire month. A lot could happen in that time, and Robert was going to try his hardest to make sure all of it was good. He’d had enough sadness and loneliness. He’d felt cursed ever since Katie had disappeared in the blizzard. With Aaron here, he finally felt like something good had come into his life. He just had to make sure he didn’t screw it up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter I give props to Belle’s character for getting the Beast back to the castle after he fought off a pack of wolves. I mean, think about it. Belle is tough as nails! She and her horse fall through ice, get soaked in freezing water, and then try to fight off the wolves. The Beast sweeps in to defeat them in a terrifyingly awesome show of strength, giving some truly impressive growls and show-stopping roars in the process. He then passes out after getting severe scratches on his arm, which thankfully were not serious enough to require stitches. Belle takes off her sopping wet cloak, covers the Beast with it because she figures he needs it more than she does (despite the fact that he’s covered in thick fur and has not taken a polar plunge that we know of). She then somehow rolls him onto the horse’s back after Philippe kneels down in the snow. I mean, yeah, the horse bent down, but Belle still had to push and shove the Beast (who had to be at least 4 times her weight) onto the saddle. Then - still soaking wet and exposed to cold winter weather - Belle walks on foot back to the palace. In slippers. She’s risking frostbite by that point. She’s totally a badass, but plays it down because she’s modest like that. She then proceeds to take care of the Beast, while still wearing the same outfit she got soaked in, which we have to assume froze onto her during the walk back to the palace. Belle thanks him for saving her from a pack of wolves (who you have to feel sorry for, because clearly they were starving, and I didn’t see any deer around for them to eat, did you?). But did he thank her for getting him back to the palace before the wolves could regroup for round 2? Nope. I’m just saying, Belle is a better person than me. I’d have at least pointed it out to him afterwards and given him a death glare as if to say, “Seriously? Not even a thank you? Boy, I should have left you out there for the wolves.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I wasn't able to post sooner. I've been working long hours recently. I'm running on vapors right now, so I apologize if this isn't my strongest writing. I lack objectivity, so who knows, maybe I'm being harsh on my own writing.
> 
> If you’re at all familiar with the Disney movie, you might remember that they gloss over Belle’s time with the Beast, capturing it with a couple of songs while the unlikely couple frolic in the snow and finally sit down to have that dinner Belle refused to show up for the first time around. Obviously that doesn’t give me much to draw from, so most of this is just me fluffing it up. Ahem ;) Enjoy!

_“If it gets too unbearable, just come home. By the way, I’m happy for you! We’ll talk soon.”_

Aaron shook his head as he read the note Chas had left for him, not completely understanding it. He found the note tucked in with his socks in the travel bag he had discovered just outside his bedroom door that morning. He recognized his bag immediately, and had quickly grabbed it up. Aaron had only just dressed himself in a second set of Robert’s clothing, and he was eager to change out of it as fast as humanly possible.

Robert’s clothing had clearly been bought with a different man’s taste in mind. Aaron preferred comfort, function, and easy options to make mixing and matching simple. Robert had a style of his own, and he seemed comfortable experimenting with colors and patterns if the shirts he had lent were any indication. Aaron hardly knew what to pick out. Yesterday he’d stuck to the most basic button-up and navy trousers. Today’s shirt that he quickly stripped off had been pale grey with tiny polka dots in a slightly darker grey. As uncomfortable as he had been wearing polka dots, no matter how miniature they were, it had still felt more in line with his normally monochromatic choices than anything else he’d found waiting for him in the wardrobe.

Once he was comfortably dressed in his own black jeans and a tee, Aaron grabbed the note his mum had left for him. He read it once more, before stuffing it back in his bag. For such a short note, it left him with a lot of questions. He had no idea what the second part of it meant. She was happy for him? Why? Besides being released from prison, he couldn’t think of anything else that had happened that warranted her being happy for him.

As for the first part of her note, surprisingly “unbearable” wasn’t how Aaron would describe his current situation. Maybe the first day had been as bad, if not worse, than he’d expected, what with getting locked in his room, being threatened after entering the forbidden West Wing, and then nearly getting run down in the pouring rain. He and Robert had gotten off to a rough start, but the second day had been much better. Despite being exhausted and in pain, Aaron had actually enjoyed himself. Robert had showed him the garage full of cars, and at one point Aaron could have sworn the blond had offered him a Lamborghini. He was willing to admit he may have misheard though. Still, he’d spent the afternoon sticking his head under the bonnets of cars that would have been at home in showrooms. He’d also started to work on repairing the rain damage to the Austin-Healey, but there was only so much he could do without all of the proper tools. All he and Robert had managed to do was thoroughly dry it out before mold could set in, and take out the seats in preparation for a thorough cleaning and conditioning. Aaron would have to wait for Cain or Debbie to deliver more tools before he could really start that project.

Throughout the day, Robert had been there at his side. Sometimes he simply passed Aaron tools when he asked for them. Other times he lent a hand with the actual work, and Aaron had to admit that the sight of the classy blond getting his hands dirty was kind of sexy. And the look on Robert’s face when Aaron had wiped a bit of oil off on his trousers, temporarily forgetting he was in borrowed clothing, had been hilarious. The older man had looked simultaneously amused and appalled. It had left Aaron wondering just how expensive his borrowed outfit was, and he had been more careful not to stain himself after that. It wasn't too difficult staying clean, since the real work was yet to be done.

By the time Aaron left his room that morning to head down to the kitchen in search of breakfast, he was still not sure what to think of the other man. Robert was in turns funny, charming, and temperamental. Aaron was coming to like the Robert from Day 2 of his month at Home Farm, but he couldn’t forget the Robert from Day 1. He was a bit wary as he entered the kitchen and found the handsome blond sitting at the table. He wondered which version of Robert he was going to get today. He looked friendly enough to Aaron this morning, a half smile tugging at his lips as he sat with his elbows resting on the smooth wood surface of the table, holding a cup of coffee with both hands.

“I see you found the bag I left for you,” Robert said, setting his cup down as his blue-green eyes travelled over Aaron’s body. Feeling his face heat, Aaron gave a quick nod. Was Robert checking him out, or just looking at his outfit? Either way, having the other man looking him over so closely was making it hard for Aaron to form words, just like the first time he’d seen Robert. When Aaron didn’t say anything, Robert stood and headed for the fridge. “Are you hungry?” he asked, opening the door and staring into the fridge.

Getting the impression that he’d made Robert feel uncomfortable by not speaking, Aaron took a seat at the table. “Breakfast sounds great,” he said, putting in an effort. He reminded himself that Robert was supposed to be the socially awkward one, not him! Aaron watched as the other man started cooking. He clearly knew what he was doing. Aaron watched with some fascination as Robert whipped up an omelette like it was the easiest thing ever. There were little bowls filled with chopped ingredients already lined up on the counter next to the stove top, as if Robert had been ready to cook breakfast for Aaron whenever he chose to come down from his room. The sizzling coming from the pan and the sound of dishware against the hard counter as Robert moved the bowls and grabbed a plate from a cabinet were comfortingly familiar. Aaron found himself relaxing as he quietly watched the other man cook.

In no time at all, Robert was sliding the omelette onto a plate. He walked it over before Aaron could get to his feet. “Coffee?” Robert offered as he put the plate down in front of him. 

Aaron nodded, mouth already full. The omelette was delicious. “Thanks,” he said belatedly once he had chewed and swallowed. Robert grabbed a cup from one of the cabinets and started to pour coffee from the French press. “Black is fine,” he added before Robert could offer him anything. Aaron tried not to stare at the handsome man as he walked toward him with a cup of coffee.

It was a bit awkward being the only one eating, especially when Robert took a seat across the table from him and just sort of sat there watching him chew. After swallowing another bite, Aaron tried to get Robert talking. “Thanks for my bag. Did my mum drop it off for me?”

“No, Cain did,” Robert answered after taking a sip of his coffee. “I called the garage yesterday and ordered the tools and supplies you wanted. Cain dropped them off early this morning. He must have told your mum he’d be coming by, and she thought to pack that bag for you and send it here with him.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you,” Robert said. His response was reasonable enough. It even made sense. If their positions had been switched, Aaron probably wouldn’t have been comfortable going into Robert’s bedroom, wherever it was, and trying to wake him. Still, there was something about Robert’s expression. His tone was casual, but something about his face let on that he was bothered. Maybe it was the way he was suddenly looking away from Aaron, attention fixed on his coffee.

“You wouldn’t have been disturbing me,” Aaron said. “I’d have liked to talk to Cain anyway.” Since his phone was still in Robert’s possession, Aaron felt pretty much cut off from the village and his family.

“Don’t tell me you’re already getting tired of my company!” Robert joked, but there was an edge to his tone, like he was actually concerned.

Aaron snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’d have to be a lot more boring for me to get tired of you by the third day.”

“Thanks, I think,” Robert said with a cocky half smile. “I notice you didn’t go so far as to say I was actually interesting.”

“And feed your ego? Not a chance.” Aaron took another bite of his omelette, so that he wouldn’t say anything else. He was at serious risk of flirting. Robert looked good, sitting there in a deep blue jumper that made his eyes look more green than blue. “Did Cain get a look at the car by any chance?”

“No, he just dropped by very quickly. He didn’t say much.” 

“But he did say something?” Aaron asked, wondering why Robert suddenly looked bothered again, cocky grin wiped off his face as he once more stared down at his coffee. Maybe Cain had said something to upset him? That was easy to believe, knowing Cain’s attitude.

“He asked after you,” Robert said. “He wanted to see you, but I said you were asleep.”

Aaron stared at Robert. It was like the other man was chewing on his words, speaking slower and more carefully while he cautiously chose what to say. “Right. And?” Aaron prompted him, attuned to Robert’s growing annoyance. He took a sip of coffee in the pause after his question, while the other man seemed to struggle with his temper.

“And he said your boyfriend was talking about coming here to see you,” Robert said sourly, the annoyance in his expression finally shifting over to anger by the looks of it. He was scowling now, and his gaze was heated as he glared at Aaron.

Boyfriend? Aaron was lucky that the sip of coffee he’d taken had been a small one, and he’d only just swallowed when Robert’s words took him by surprise. He choked, covering his mouth and likely turning red in the face as he coughed and sputtered. “Sorry?”

“You know, your boyfriend? Finn?” Robert said, words suddenly coming easily and quickly as he crossed his arms and glared at Aaron as if he’d done something wrong.

“Finn?” he asked stupidly, giving a confused shrug. “Why would Finn visit me here?”

“Well, apparently he misses you. Cain said that your boyfriend’s been at the pub going on and on about you.”

“Wait, just back up a second,” Aaron said, holding his hands up, palms out as if to stop Robert. The blond man looked like he was struggling to hold back his words. Why was he so angry about this? “What exactly did Cain say?”

“Word for word?” Robert asked, giving a negligent shrug that was at odds with the intense eye contact he was suddenly giving Aaron. “I don’t know,” he said sulkily. “Not much. It was something like, ‘Where’s Aaron? Are you keeping him hostage? If I don’t hear from him in the next week, I’ll personally come over here and do to you what Chas did to your car. Tell Aaron that his boyfriend is looking for him. Finn’s been whining around the pub since Aaron left, and the least Aaron can do is put us all out of our misery by giving the lad a call.’ It’s not word for word, but you have the general idea.”

Aaron rubbed at his beard in annoyance. Given Cain’s threats against him, it made sense that Robert was this irritated and upset. He just wished Cain hadn’t riled him up. He was actually coming to like Robert, especially when he wasn’t upset after being needlessly threatened. Aaron understood that Cain was just looking out for him, but it wasn’t going to make this month any easier.

At least he understood why Robert was acting a bit off now. What he didn’t understand was why Finn was spreading rumors that they were boyfriends. Why would he do that? Did he not get the concept of a one off? Aaron rubbed at his beard again, truly frustrated. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want people to know he’d slept with Finn as he didn’t want to deal with their reactions. His mum was going to be the worst. Her note from earlier suddenly made sense. She thought he was dating Finn, and she was happy for him. Of course she’d want him to settle down with someone so… boring! Finn was too straitlaced. He supposed on the whole the lad was alright, but there was no connection. At least not for Aaron.

“What did you tell Cain?” Aaron asked, trying to bottle his frustration.

“Well, I denied keeping you hostage for starters,” Robert said, arms crossed as he almost seemed to pout. “And just so you know, you can leave at any time to go see your boyfriend. I’d hate to get in the way. But he’s not coming here, and that’s final!”

“He’s not my boyfriend, and I don’t want to see him!” Aaron said, rolling his eyes in irritation. “Besides, what’s it matter to you? Are you homophobic or something?”

“Yeah, because of course I would have made you breakfast if I was,” Robert quipped.

“Then I don’t get it,” Aaron said, shaking his head as he motioned at Robert with his hand, a gesture meant to capture the sullen expression on his face and the way he was sitting there, arms crossed as he slouched in his seat. Seeming to understand, the blond man sat up and brought his cup of coffee to his lips, sipping slowly with studied indifference. “Why are you being like this?”

“Like what?” he asked, face suddenly looking pink.

Aaron stared at him. Was Robert jealous? That couldn’t be right, could it? Earlier he had kind of felt like Robert was checking him out. He could have sworn he saw his eyes lingering in a way that didn’t make sense if he was just glancing at Aaron’s outfit. Robert had married a woman, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was straight. He could be bi, or gay and in denial. Aaron decided that he was going to have to be more alert over the next month so he could try to figure out if the other man was actually attracted to him. If he was, maybe they could…?

No, this was crazy. Aaron was letting his physical attraction to Robert get in the way. On the off chance that Robert was interested, it just wasn’t going to work. The older man had some issues he needed to straighten out. Something had happened to his wife and daughter, and he was clearly not dealing with it very well. On top of that, he was obviously hanging onto guilt over what had happened to Katie, or he wouldn’t have turned into a recluse.

And anyway, Aaron was probably misreading Robert’s jealousy. He very clearly was jealous, but it was far more likely that it was just because he wanted Aaron to himself. He was doubtlessly just lonely for another person to talk to. They had both enjoyed spending time together the other day, and the thought of having to share Aaron’s attention with other people was making him jealous. Right.

“Let’s just leave it, yeah?” Aaron said after a short pause while he tried to straighten out his thoughts. “Look, it’s not worth arguing over. Finn’s not even my boyfriend. We had a one off the night before I got here. I was drunk, and one thing lead to another.”

“He took advantage of you?” Robert demanded, looking outraged. Aaron didn’t know if the anger on his behalf was a sign that Robert was interested in him and furious at the thought of another bloke tricking Aaron into bed, or if it was a sign that he felt like Aaron was becoming a friend, and Robert didn’t like the thought of him getting hurt.

“No. Trust me, Finn’s not the type to take advantage of anyone,” Aaron said, grabbing his fork back up so he could finish off his omelette before it got stone cold. “He’s too, you know. Nice.”

“Nice?” Robert repeated, seeming like he was thinking that over. Aaron just nodded while he ate. “And you’re not into that? Let me guess, you’re into bad boys?” he asked, anger draining away as his good humor returned.

“No, I like men who are interesting,” Aaron corrected. It wasn’t until after he’d said it that he thought about the fact that he had as good as told Robert he thought he was interesting earlier, before they started talking about Cain. “Anyway,” he said, trying to change the subject, “how about we go out and start working on the Austin-Healey? It’s not going to fix itself.”

“Sounds good,” Robert said, standing when Aaron did. He reached over the table to grab the used plate from Aaron’s hands. “I’ll take that.”

Aaron watched him load the plate into the dishwasher, wondering if the brush of Robert’s fingers against his when he’d reached for the plate had been intentional or accidental.

*****

Watching Robert was quickly turning into a habit by Aaron’s fifth day at Home Farm. As much as he tried to talk himself out of it, he couldn’t help glancing over at him, trying to find signs for whether or not Robert was interested. They had spent all of yesterday and the day before together, and in that time Aaron was sure he’d caught Robert staring at him a half dozen times. He was as certain as he could be without resorting to flat out asking him that Robert was attracted to him. Aaron was just having a difficult time deciding what he wanted to do about it.

If Robert was any other bloke, Aaron would act on it without hesitation. The problem was that he wasn’t any other bloke. He was the very wealthy man who had evidence that Chas had battered his car, and was insisting on settling it this way instead of just letting her pay off the damages like a normal person would. He was the temperamental man who had locked Aaron in his room, and who had thrown furniture around when he found Aaron where he wasn’t supposed to be. If they started something, and then it went sour, Chas was the one who potentially had to face the consequences. That thought was enough to make Aaron hold back, and try to hide his own growing attraction to the other man.

Today they would be working on the dents left by the hail. Aaron had spent the morning going painstakingly over the steel blue surface of the Austin-Healey, marking each of the small divots he found while Robert took a few hours to work from his office. They ate lunch together before Aaron lead him back out to the garage. He did his best to ignore Robert’s eyes on him as he ate the sandwich the older man had made for him. It wasn’t easy. Robert seemed to be more obvious about his interest today than he had been the last two days. Every time Aaron glanced up, Robert was looking directly at him. Almost completely certain that the blond was thinking of making a move at the smallest sign from him, Aaron tried not to make eye contact. Whenever he did, he wouldn’t hold it for long.

He felt tense in an uncomfortably good way as Robert followed him out to the garage after they ate. “Well,” Robert said after entering the garage and heading into the first stall, where the Austin-Healey was parked. “The seats look great, but the car looks worse than ever with all those white circles on it.”

“It’s just to mark the dents. It’ll come right off,” Aaron reassured him. He couldn’t help but stare as Robert walked over to one of the seats that had been removed from the car. Aaron shivered as he watched Robert run his hand over the supple leather. It looked as good as new, after a thorough cleaning and conditioning, all of the pruning from getting soaked in the rain gone. He felt himself getting warmer as Robert stroked the seat, the movement almost sensual. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that he realized Robert was doing it for his benefit.

Flushing, Aaron turned away and bent to grab one of the glue pullers his uncle had dropped off. “You ever use one of these before?” he asked, trying to distract himself.

“No,” Robert said from right behind him. Startled at how close he’d gotten, Aaron turned to face him.

“Maybe we should-”

His words were cut off as Robert grabbed his face between his hands and darted in quickly for a kiss. Aaron held his breath as Robert’s lips pressed against his, hard, demanding a response. Before he knew it, Aaron had his hands fisted in the soft knit of Robert’s grey jumper, holding him close as the kiss deepened. His stomach tightened, and he gasped as he could feel the first stirrings of desire.

He knew he should pull back, and stop this before it went any further. He let go of his grip on Robert’s jumper, but his body was a traitor. Once freed, his hands slipped around Robert, stroking over his back and pulling him close. Aaron groaned as Robert cradled his head with one hand, slipping his right down between them to brush lightly over Aaron through his pants, wordlessly asking permission. He ground against Robert encouragingly, biting gently at the other man’s lip as he took the hint and cupped Aaron, hand massaging into him.

Feeling like he was burning, Aaron let go of Robert long enough to unzip his hoodie and shrug it off, leaving him in just his thin black tee and his jeans. Robert pulled back, using both hands to gently cradle Aaron’s face to stop him from pushing forward for another kiss. “Wait,” he gasped, out of breath.

The sight of Robert panting, lips reddened, was extremely distracting to Aaron as he struggled to pull his thoughts together. “What?” he finally managed.

“You’re not going along with this to help your mum, are you?”

Aaron pulled away from him, going from passionate to furious in a second. “Are you joking me right now?” he said, hardly able to believe it. Robert seriously thought he’d have sex with him just to get Chas off the hook? “You know what, Robert, fuck you!”

“No, wait! Aaron!” Robert called out as Aaron shoved past him. His blood felt like it was boiling as he walked away. Robert’s fingers gripped his upper arm, roughly pulling Aaron around to face him.

“Let go of me. I’m warning you, Robert,” he threatened, feeling the air practically vibrating around them with suppressed violence.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked that,” Robert rushed to say, looking genuinely sorry. “It’s just…” He swallowed nervously, staring at Aaron as if he was afraid he was fighting a losing battle. “I just want you to like me,” he whispered, voice hoarse.

He wasn’t expecting the show of vulnerability. Immediately softening, Aaron stepped in closer, his skin crying out for him to press in against Robert’s body. He tilted his head up, lips hovering over Robert's.

“I do like you,” he murmured. “I don’t know, maybe we’re moving too fast? Let’s just take it slow, alright.”

“I still get to kiss you though, right?” Robert asked to make sure. In answer, Aaron closed the distance between their lips. It was their only point of contact, and he kept it light so he didn’t get carried away again.

Finally stepping back, Aaron had to clear his throat before he could talk. “Let’s just work on the car, yeah? I'll show you how to use the glue puller on the dents."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! I get back on target with the movie storyline at the very end of the chapter. Starting to wrap things up =) I'm excited to write the ending, and I hope you're just as excited to read it!

Aaron knew he was in trouble by the end of his first week at Home Farm.

He’d never fallen this hard or fast for anyone in his entire life. When he had met Jackson, he’d been too confused at his own sexuality to even know what he was feeling half the time. With Ed, he’d been scared to try again after losing Jackson the way he had. There had been other men for Aaron, but nothing lasting long enough to count as a relationship. It was different this time. Aaron had been attracted to Robert from the beginning, and it was quickly developing into something deeper.

It was hard to say what it was about Robert that drew him. It only took a few conversations with the older man to recognize that he was as arrogant and insufferable as people in the village had described him. When he talked about work, he got most animated when he was describing cutthroat deals he’d made, and bargaining so well the other person was left with next to nothing while he came away with gold. He could go on forever about the worth of the cars in his collection, or the quality of the art displayed in his home, or the rarity of the wine in his cellar. He was conceited, and knew exactly how good he looked.

Robert had a knack for being annoying, but there were moments when Aaron could see beneath that to someone who was actually pretty decent. He’d brag about something, and then ask Aaron for news of his family who wouldn’t talk to him anymore. Robert listened quietly as Aaron told him about the lives Vic, Andy, and Diane were living without him. He would make an aggravatingly cheeky comment, then ask Aaron questions about himself, seeming genuinely interested as Aaron spoke.

He was quick to give Aaron anything and everything he asked for. Sometimes that was nice, like when Robert remembered Aaron’s favorite foods and made a point to include one of them in every meal he made. Other times he was a little too eager to please, like the day before when he offered to buy tickets to France after Aaron mentioned missing a cafe he used to visit for the amazing croissants they made every morning. Even when Aaron turned down the offer, Robert found a way to give him a taste of France anyway. This morning, Aaron came down for breakfast and found that Robert had made him croissants. Not just any croissants, though. He had apparently called the cafe for the recipe. Of course, after he’d made sure Aaron was enjoying the treat, he had to boast about how he had to browbeat the cafe’s stubborn French chef into parting with the recipe.

What moved Aaron the most were Robert’s moments of vulnerability. Of course, those moments also sometimes lead to outbursts of temper that were fueled by his insecurities. Still, Aaron could hold his own against Robert. Which is how they found themselves toe to toe, arguing on the evening of Aaron’s seventh day at Home Farm.

*****

The repairs to the Austin-Healey had gone well. It looked and worked as good as new, and they had just taken it for a short test drive. They had come back to Home Farm windblown but happy. Once Robert had parked the car in the garage, Aaron had hopped out and gone to take a look at the white Audi that Chas had taken a bat to. When Robert joined him, Aaron said, “Now all I’ve got to do is fix this one up, and we’ll be squared away.”

“Fixing it won’t change what your mum did,” Robert reminded him, sounding upset. Glancing over at the blond, Aaron found that the smile he’d worn while they drove was gone.

“I know. When did I ever say I approved of what she did?” Aaron asked.

“Then why have you always been so keen to protect her? That’s why you came here to begin with, isn’t it? To work off her debt?”

“Yeah, that was the idea.”

“Fixing the car doesn’t mean the debt is paid off,” Robert said.

“How do you figure that? I’ll do the repairs for free, and I’ll cover the cost for the parts. What more do you want?”

“The point of all this was to teach her a lesson,” Robert argued, blue green eyes narrowed as he struggled not to shout. He had figured out pretty quickly that Aaron wasn’t keen on getting shouted at.

“She’s already learned her lesson,” Aaron pointed out. “I promise you, she won’t be coming back for another go at one of your cars.”

“So that’s it? I’m just supposed to trust she’s not going to do it again?”

“What other option is there?” Aaron asked, exasperated.

“If she were here working off her debt, I’d know for a fact she was learning her lesson,” he said, tone resentful.

“I thought the point of me being here was so that she wouldn’t have to be. Are you seriously telling me you’d prefer having my mum here scrubbing floors to having me here fixing your car?”

“No, course not!”

“Then I don’t get it. What’s the problem here?”

“Of course all your interested in is getting your mum off the hook!” Robert shouted, losing his battle in the struggle not to raise his voice.

“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been fine with the plan all week, and now suddenly you’re having second thoughts?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Robert repeated, looking completely outraged as he stared at Aaron incredulously. “How can you walk away from this like nothing happened? Do I mean that little to you?”

It was only then that Aaron figured it out. By the time he did, they were standing toe to toe, faces red with anger as they argued. Robert wasn’t actually upset about Chas failing to learn her lesson. He wasn’t actually worried that she’d come back and do the same thing again. No, he was worried that Aaron was going to fix up the Audi within the next couple of weeks, and then leave without looking back. Once the damages were fixed, there would be no real reason for him to stay for the entire month at Home Farm.

Aaron’s anger briefly settled at the realization that Robert was just feeling a bit insecure before returning full force. Once again, Aaron was being accused of not actually caring. A few days ago Robert had implied that Aaron would only consider sleeping with him to get Chas off the hook. Now the older man was suggesting that Aaron would walk away without even a glance back once the Audi was fixed. And this was after the past couple of days! Just because it had been his idea to take things slow didn’t mean he was having an easy time with it. Aaron had been taking full advantage of the fact that they had agreed snogging was still on the table. They could barely keep their hands off each other, and yet Robert still felt like Aaron cared so little for him.

It was irritating, and that’s why Aaron rolled his eyes and said, “That’s right. You mean so little to me. So little I’m going to fix the Audi as fast as I can so I can get out of here!”

He was being sarcastic, but that seemed to go right over Robert’s head. Before Aaron knew it, Robert had shoved him backwards, pinning him against one of the walls to the Audi’s stall. He was pressed tightly to Aaron’s body, trying to keep him in place. Robert’s hands were tangled in Aaron’s hoodie, pulling him in until their faces were a mere hairsbreadth apart. “You’re going nowhere!” Robert growled, sounding almost inhuman.

Aaron knew he should be upset that Robert had just pushed their fight from verbal to physical. Instead, he was having a difficult time not rubbing himself against the older man. The urge was so strong Aaron was shocked at himself. Without thinking, he egged the other man on. “Oh yeah? How are you planning on stopping me?”

Robert reacted exactly as Aaron had hoped he would. He mashed their lips together, harsh and merciless, like the older man thought he was going to struggle to get away. Getting away was the last thing on his mind just then. Aaron willingly parted his lips under Robert’s assault, letting the blond control the kiss as Aaron grabbed his arse and held his hips in place so he could rub against him. Robert moaned into his mouth and thrust his hips once, twice, continuing until both of them were clinging to one another, trying to stay upright as they breathed into each other’s faces and ground their hips together.

“Mm,” Robert groaned, plastering Aaron’s back tightly to the wall as he sought his own pleasure. Aaron shifted just a bit so he could wrap one leg around Robert’s hips, using it to pull him in more tightly. They both gasped as the angle shifted until it was just right. “Wait, wait, I’m gonna…” Robert tried pulling away. Aaron refused to let go, his leg clenching around the other man and his fingers gripping Robert’s arse. It was obvious when Robert reached the point of no return. He stopped trying to pull away, his hands holding Aaron’s waist to stop him from moving as Robert thrust against him. Suddenly the blond was crying out, his fast thrusts slowing and becoming uncoordinated as he came.

It felt amazing being wrapped around Robert as he came, feeling the muscles in that rounded arse clench as Aaron held onto him. The reckless thrusts from a moment before were not quite enough to make Aaron come. He was left trembling with need for about fifteen seconds while Robert recovered. Once he did, the blond kissed Aaron as he began to rub his hand over him. It wasn’t long before his own muscles were clenching and he was moaning and panting his way through his orgasm. He was only vaguely aware of Robert’s hands on his fly, undoing his jeans, until he felt Robert’s fingers pulling him free of his dampened boxers. Eyes flying open, Aaron gazed down at him as Robert took him into his mouth, cleaning him off as gently as he could so he wouldn’t accidentally cause Aaron discomfort in case he became over-sensitized.

If it had been physically possible for him to do so, Aaron would have pulled Robert off of him and fucked him senseless just then. The sight of the older man looking up at him, mouth stretched wide around Aaron’s cock, made him want to do all sorts of things to him. Robert’s blue green eyes gazed up at him, locked on Aaron’s face like he was completely fascinated by what he saw. As gentle as Robert was being, Aaron still had to pull him off before it became too much.

They stayed like that while they recovered. Aaron stroked his hand through Robert’s soft hair, making it stand up in a ridiculously charming way as the older man looked at him with a face gone drowsy and warm. Feeling himself getting tired, Aaron pushed away from the wall he was still leaning against. He shivered as he saw Robert looking at his crotch while Aaron tucked himself back inside his boxers and zipped up. Feeling a bit awkward, he tried to ease his own tension. “You couldn’t have sucked me off before I came in my pants?”

Robert gave an arrogant smirk. “I couldn’t be the only one who’d come in his pants like a teenaged boy, now could I?”

Aaron stared at him for a moment before giving an amused huff. “You’re such an arse, you know that?”

“I’ve not heard complaints from you,” Robert said, getting to his feet. Aaron couldn’t help himself from glancing down to see the blue denim at Robert’s groin dampened. Catching him looking, Robert gave another smirk. “Next time we’re doing that in a bed.”

“What happened to going slow?” Aaron teased.

“I lasted a full seven days before getting my mouth around your cock. I think that qualifies me for sainthood,” Robert told him.

“I may not know much about it, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how sainthood works,” Aaron laughed. He gave a pleased moan when Robert closed the distance between them once again to give Aaron a gentle kiss.

“Who cares?” Robert asked him once he’d pulled away. “Let’s go get cleaned up, yeah?”

They left the garage and walked to the house together, and it wasn’t until they were climbing the stairs to the second floor that Aaron thought about the fact that Robert might want to continue their… activities. He balked at the idea of undressing and getting in the shower with the other man. It wasn’t that Aaron didn’t like the idea, but he was suddenly very aware that they were quickly coming to the point where Aaron was going to have to explain himself. Pretty soon, if not within minutes, Aaron was going to end up shirtless, and Robert was going to have questions about the scars along his abdomen.

Sure enough, Robert followed Aaron into his bedroom without waiting for an invitation. Ill at ease, he lead the blond to the en suite. He started up the water, taking his time getting the temperature just right while he put off getting undressed as long as he could. Aaron wished he’d just asked Robert to use his own shower. He hadn’t because he actually did really want this. He also knew that if it didn’t happen now, the moment would still come sooner or later.

“Leave it,” Robert suggested, already halfway undressed. “I’m sure the water’s fine.”

“Right,” Aaron said. Feeling nervous, he toed off his trainers and socks, starting off easy. He followed that with his hoodie, and then his jeans, until he stood there in his shirt and his boxers. By then Robert was completely nude. Seeing that pale, freckled body completely uncovered was almost enough to distract Aaron from his anxiety.

“Need some help?” Robert teased. Aaron’s thoughts felt jumbled while he watched Robert walk toward him. He clenched his teeth as he let the other man grab the hem of his shirt, trying to relax as Robert kissed his tense jaw. The shirt lifted, and then Aaron’s face was hidden by the fabric as Robert lifted it over his head. His eyes immediately went to Robert’s face once the shirt was off. The older man didn’t say anything, but he did reach out to run his fingers gently over the scars that crisscrossed Aaron’s stomach.

He didn’t feel the tension leave him until Robert lowered his lips to his and kissed him soft and slow. Aaron shivered when he felt fingers tug at the band of his boxers, lowering them down Aaron’s thighs without breaking the kiss. They slid to the floor, and he stepped out of them. Pulling back a bit, Aaron grabbed Robert’s hand and pulled him into the tub.

Robert hissed as the spray from the shower struck his body. “Too cold!” he complained.

Aaron couldn’t help laughing as he watched the other man squirm. The laughter helped chase away most of his lingering anxiety. “I thought you said I should leave it? That the water would be fine.”

“I was wrong,” Robert said, hugging the wall as he tried to avoid the cold water. It was a little cooler than Aaron preferred, but it didn’t feel that cold. Still, he had to fiddle with the levers a bit before the water reached a temperature they were both happy with.

“Alright, it’s warm now, you big baby,” Aaron told him. He could hardly stop himself from laughing again when Robert inched forward cautiously. “It wasn’t that cold to begin with. Come here,” Aaron ordered him, voice deepening unintentionally as he stood there appreciating Robert’s nude body. “I’ll warm you up.”

“Sounds good to me,” Robert said, easing forward. When the water didn’t immediately freeze him, he came to Aaron eagerly.

“Turn around,” Aaron instructed. Robert took one last, lingering look at Aaron before turning his back on him. Aaron reached up to run his hands through Robert’s hair, making sure it was wet down before he grabbed the shampoo and started massaging it into his scalp. He saw Robert’s shoulders move as he sighed, seeming to enjoy the contact. Aaron was enjoying it too. The last time he’d bathed a man he liked was with Jackson, and that had been entirely different. Jackson couldn’t care for himself by that point. Consequently, Aaron had never thought of bathing as being particularly romantic, and had never felt inclined to share his showers with anyone until now.

Aaron nudged Robert into the spray, rinsing the shampoo out before grabbing the conditioner and rubbing it into blond hair that had darkened to brown in the water. He left the conditioner in for a minute, laying small nibbling kisses along Robert’s neck and shoulders while he waited. He stopped when Robert tried turning to face him. “Not yet,” he whispered against his skin.

“Aaron,” Robert complained, clearly wanting to rush things.

Instead of answering that complaint, he pulled Robert back a step, so that the water could wash the conditioner from his hair. Aaron rinsed it out for him, liking the way it felt against his hands, all soft and sleek. Once he was sure the conditioner had been washed away, he nudged Robert back out of the spray and grabbed the body wash. Ignoring the towel he’d been using to scrub himself when he bathed on his own, Aaron squirted the soap directly onto his hands. He wanted to feel Robert’s skin. For a moment, he paused, not sure where he wanted to start. All of Robert looked pretty damn good to him.

Deciding to just start with what was closest, Aaron used his soapy hands on that freckled back. Each and every freckle caught his eye, intriguing him with the random patterns they made. Aaron explored them with his fingers as he massaged his hands into Robert’s shoulders and back. The blond was mostly quiet, except for occasional sighs as he relaxed under Aaron’s care.

Growing bolder, he moved on from Robert’s back, kneeling down behind him to work on his legs. He started on the right leg first, working the soap in low, by the ankle and gliding his fingers up the calf, and then back down again. With each pass, he went higher and higher, until his hands reached that point where the leg transitioned into a perfect cheek. Then Aaron added some more soap to his hands and switched to the left leg, starting at the ankle and ignoring Robert’s arse for the moment.

“Fuck,” Robert moaned, shifting impatiently on his feet.

Unable to stop a smile from tugging at his lips, Aaron continued to tease the older man. He did the same thing as before, running his hands up and down Robert’s left leg, letting his strokes reach higher and higher until he was touching him just under his cheeks. He watched Robert twitch, clearly anticipating the moment Aaron’s hands would slide up to cup his arse.

Deciding he didn’t want to be predictable, he slowly edged his hands up, as if he was going to pass the invisible barrier where leg turned into something more. Robert went still, and Aaron could hear his breath coming quickly. Then, instead of touching him with his hands, Aaron leaned forward and laid a kiss on the left cheek. Robert gasped, clenching his arse when Aaron rubbed his bearded chin against the soft skin there. It was only then that Aaron ran his hands up the backs of Robert’s thighs to stroke his behind as he got back to his feet.

This time when Robert made to turn and face him, Aaron didn’t stop him. He returned Robert’s feverish kisses with his own. Finally pulling away, Robert whispered, “I’m not taking my time. You’re getting clean, and then we’re moving to the bed.”

He didn’t give Aaron a chance to reply. Robert was quick but gentle as he soaped up Aaron’s hair. He chose to do it while they still faced each other, so it was still intimate despite going quickly. He shocked Aaron when he got the body wash and went straight for his cock, leaving him gasping at the unexpectedness of the touch as Robert stroked his hard length. Moving closer, the blond took both of them in hand, stroking them together while Aaron clung to his shoulders.

Maybe the option of moving to the bed was off the table, because Robert showed no intention of stopping. He brought his lips to Aaron’s and kissed him frantically, rubbing their soapy lengths steadily. It wasn’t long before Aaron was shouting, feeling that intense explosion of pleasure as he came. He barely heard Robert’s cries over his own. They were left standing weak-kneed in the tub, bracing themselves against the tiled wall as they caught their breath.

“What about the bed?” he finally asked, once his heart rate stopped thundering in his ears.

“Later,” Robert promised.

“That’s a bit ambitious, isn’t it?”

“We can take a nap first,” Robert allowed. “Maybe we should. I’ve got a long night planned.”

They had to clean up again before they could leave the shower. This time they didn’t linger, and they kept their hands to themselves so they’d actually make it to the bed this time. They got out of the tub and dried themselves off using the softest towels Aaron had ever felt. They left the steamy en suite and made their way to Aaron’s enormous bed, where they slipped between the satin sheets without bothering to put on any clothes. He thought it might be awkward, but it wasn’t. Robert shifted closer until he was spooning him, then wrapped his arm possessively around Aaron’s waist. To his surprise, he fell asleep quickly.

*****

He couldn’t help tensing up when he woke. Robert was still curled beside him, but at some point Aaron had shifted from his side to lay on his back. When he woke, he found Robert already up. The older man had his head resting on Aaron’s shoulder. The part that had him tensing was that Robert was trailing his fingers across the scars on his abdomen. He was doing it in the same absentminded way that Aaron might have done if their positions had been switched, and he’d started to play with the freckles on Robert’s belly while he was waiting for him to wake.

Clearly feeling Aaron’s shoulder tighten up under his cheek, Robert lifted his head. He seemed to immediately understand that Aaron was uncomfortable with him touching his scars, because he moved his hand away and sat up. “I’m surprised you haven’t asked me any questions yet,” Aaron said, also sitting up.

Robert shrugged, hugging his sheet covered legs to his chest and then resting his chin on one of his knees. “Well, I was more interested in getting you all wet and soapy before.”

“I guess.”

They were both quiet for a moment before Robert said, “If you wanted to tell me, I wouldn’t judge you.”

“It’s not a great story,” Aaron cautioned.

“Aaron, we’re talking about scars you gave yourself. I wasn’t expecting the story to be great,” Robert said.

It took him a moment to figure out where to start. This was always an awkward moment with lovers. They always reacted differently, and Aaron liked Robert enough that he was worried the story would disgust him. “I guess I’m a little surprised you haven’t heard the story already. It’s one of those things everyone in Emmerdale knows about. I know I wasn’t around when you first got here, but it was pretty much all anyone was talking about for a while. It just seems like one of those things someone would have mentioned in passing before you stopped going into the village.”

“If anyone mentioned it, I can’t remember,” Robert said.

“A couple years back, I was seeing this bloke. His name was Jackson. I met him while I was still trying to accept the fact that I was gay. It was a struggle for me,” Aaron recalled, thinking back to that time. “It was hard for lot of reasons,” he said darkly, shaking his head. “Anyway, I went to this gay bar, to see what it was all about. That’s where I met Jackson. Like I said, I was struggling with being gay. I did things I’m not proud of, but Jackson stuck around in spite of how I treated him. Things actually started to go really good between us, and then he told me he loved me.”

Aaron felt a hot tear roll down his cheek, and he wiped it away impatiently as Robert quietly watched and listened. He avoided looking directly at the other man while he spoke, glancing at him only a few times, and never letting his gaze linger. “I didn’t react well. I’m done kicking myself for it, but I couldn’t say it back. I was confused, and I had never been in love. I didn’t know how I felt about Jackson. I knew I liked him, but I wasn’t ready to admit anything beyond that. We argued over it, and over the fact that I was always so hot headed and violent... My temper has always gotten the better of me, even now, but it was worse then. He ended up driving off. I called him right away, because I knew I was being stupid. He didn’t answer. He’d crashed on a railway, and a train ended up smashing into his car.”

“He died?” Robert asked gently.

“Not then, but he wished he had,” Aaron told him, quickly glancing at Robert’s face before looking away again. “He was paralyzed from the neck down. He broke up with me, and I tried to move on with my life. It took me that long to figure out I was in love with him. We ended up getting back together, but Jackson just wasn’t the same. He was depressed. He hated being helpless. He hated having me and his mum take care of him. Jackson wanted to die, and I wanted him to live. He was helpless enough that he couldn’t do it on his own, so he asked me and his mum to help him commit suicide. It took time for him and his mum to convince me, but eventually I agreed to be there while his mum gave him a laced drink. Only she ended up losing her nerve, and I had to step in and do it.”

The tears were coming quickly now, and Aaron wiped them away as best as he could. “I had agreed to be there, but I didn’t think I’d be helping him like that. God, it was sick. As soon as I’d done it, I was sickened. I was arrested for my part in it, and had to go to court. I don’t know how I managed to convince the jury to be lenient with me. I was so sure I deserved the punishment. When I was let go, I couldn’t handle it. I ended up doing this to myself,” Aaron said, looking down his chest and rubbing his stomach.

“Come here,” Robert said, letting go of his legs and crawling over to Aaron. He wrapped his arms around him, and Aaron clutched at him while he tried to regain his composure. “In case you’re worried,” Robert told him, “you haven’t managed to scare me off. I can’t say I understand what you did to yourself, but I’m not going to judge you because of what happened with Jackson. I’ve done my share of things I’m not proud of.”

“You mean Katie?” Aaron asked, pulling away so he could look at Robert. Over the past week, he’d been curious about Robert, but he hadn’t been sure how to ask. The older man could be so prickly, Aaron had put off asking any personal questions. Tonight, Robert seemed more approachable than ever.

“In part,” Robert said. “You know how you said you would kick yourself for not telling Jackson you loved him? Well, I’ve kicked myself for not hearing Katie out when she came by that night. If I had just listened to her, she would have told me about her car breaking down and how she was stranded. I’d have let her in.” Robert gave a wry smile then and added, “Katie and I… we had a history. I loved her once, and maybe we ended up hating one another, but that doesn’t mean that I’d have just left her to freeze. It’d be more my style to let her in, and then make sure she hated every minute she had to stay here with me.”

Aaron snorted at that, a smile tugging on his lips. “I can see that about you.”

“Are you saying I’m a pain in the arse?” Robert asked in amusement.

“And other places.”

“Oh?” Robert asked, reaching out to snag Aaron around the waist. Once again he found himself pressed against the taller man’s body, but this was different from the hug they had just shared. This was playful and flirtatious. “I’d like to hear about those other places. I bet I can guess where one of them is.” Robert leaned in then and placed his lips against Aaron’s ear. “Want me to kiss it and make it better?”

He could feel his body beginning to respond, growing warmer as his belly tightened and his blood headed south. “Tempting, but I think you’re trying to change the subject,” Aaron said. He still had a lot of questions for Robert.

The blond sighed, letting go of Aaron. “Yeah, maybe I am.”

“What happened with Katie… it’s not your fault,” Aaron said.

“I know, but it doesn’t stop me from regretting it,” Robert explained. “When I saw her at my door, I thought she was there to have another go at me.”

“You two were arguing?” Aaron asked, trying to piece things together.

“Always,” Robert answered. “When I came back to Emmerdale, I was still wearing my wedding ring. I was married,” he explained. “Katie saw the ring and started getting really curious when my wife never turned up after I moved into Home Farm. I didn’t want to talk about any of it, so I’d deliberately wind her up. We’d have these rows, and it was driving my family mad. When I saw how fed up they were all getting, I tried to put an end to it. But she was so determined to find out what I was hiding! I finally told her my wife had died, but since it took so long for me to say it, she was suspicious. She figured there was more to it, and started doing some digging. That’s when the rumors started about Louisa killing herself.”

“That was her name? Louisa?” Aaron asked, voice soft and unobtrusive.

Robert nodded. “Suddenly the entire village was whispering about how Louisa had killed herself. They kept taking guesses as to why. The most popular theory was that I had cheated on her and she couldn’t handle it.” Aaron remembered hearing exactly that from Chas before he’d ever met Robert. Before he could figure out a way to ask whether or not it was true, Robert said, “It hurt, because it was close to the truth.”

“What happened?” Aaron asked.

“I did cheat on her,” Robert said, voice cracking. He cleared it and looked at Aaron, blue green eyes seeming to beg him to understand. “I really thought I could be different with Louisa. We were together for a year before we got married, and I never felt the urge to cheat. Then we got married, and Louisa got pregnant. I wasn’t ready for it. Neither of us were, really. But then Isabelle was born, and I loved her so much.”

“She was your daughter, of course you loved her,” Aaron said, reaching out and squeezing Robert’s hand. He would have drawn away again, but Robert tightened his grip on Aaron’s hand.

When he spoke again, he was looking down at their joined fingers. “Louisa had postpartum depression. She hid it pretty well at first, but it just got worse over the next few months. Isabelle was already one year when Louisa finally agreed to get help. She started going to counseling, and it was a night and day difference. But by then, things had gotten shaky between us. I’m not proud of this, but I started sleeping with other people. Just a few one offs, but she found out somehow. We got into a terrible row, and she grabbed Isabelle and drove off. She told me after that she’d been crying while she drove. She wasn’t paying attention, and she got into a car accident.”

Aaron squeezed Robert’s hand. “Robert, I’m so sorry.”

“L-Louisa had been in such a rush…” he said brokenly. “She didn’t- Isabella wasn’t in her car seat. There was no way she could have survived.”

“Robert,” Aaron whispered, leaning in to lay his forehead against the other man’s. They sat there like that, foreheads and noses pressed together as Robert struggled with his emotions.

“Louisa never got over it. Neither of us did, but it was worse for her. She blamed me for what I’d done to our family, but she blamed herself even more for letting her anger and hurt get the better of her. She couldn’t forgive herself for causing the accident that killed our daughter.”

“She killed herself?” Aaron asked. Robert nodded, and with their foreheads still pressed together, his nose bumped against Aaron’s when he moved.

“Katie found Louisa’s obituary and figured part of it out. She didn’t look closely enough to learn anything about Isabelle. Having the rumors flying around the village… I was ready to kill Katie myself. I just remember being so angry at her! When she showed up at my door when the blizzard was just starting-”

“You sent her away,” Aaron said when Robert broke off. “She was poking at your wounds and you didn’t want to hear her out, so you sent her away.” Once again, Robert nodded. Aaron shifted his face just enough so he could tilt his head and press a soft kiss to Robert’s mouth. He pulled away and let go of Robert’s hand so he could frame Robert’s face with his hands. “I’m so sorry for what happened. I can’t even imagine what any of that must be like for you. But if you blame yourself for Louisa running off with Isabelle and crashing, then you’re going to have to blame me for getting under Jackson’s skin and making him get so fed up with me he drove off and crashed.”

“It’s not the same,” Robert objected, blue green eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Maybe not exactly, but enough that I can guess how you’re feeling. Remember I said I called Jackson after he drove off?” When Robert nodded, Aaron said, “He crashed because he was trying to answer my call. He got distracted. How is that much different from Louisa crying as she drove away from you? So you can’t blame yourself for what happened to Isabelle, or what Louisa ended up doing to herself, or you're going to have to blame me for Jackson getting paralyzed.”

“How did you come back from it?” Robert asked, his tears finally falling. Aaron rubbed them away with his thumbs as he held Robert’s face in his hands. “How do you forgive yourself?”

“It’s not easy, but I’ll help you,” Aaron promised, hurting for Robert. Maybe Aaron hadn’t coped well after Jackson was paralyzed, and especially not after he helped Jackson commit suicide. But he had time separating him from what had happened. And he’d had Chas and Paddy, who never stopped supporting him. All Robert had was a family who refused to speak to him, and an empty house where he could wallow in his own misery uninterrupted.

“I’m here for you, Robert. I promise. I’ll support you like my mum and Paddy supported me when I was struggling.”

“You really love Chas, don’t you,” Robert commented as Aaron finally dropped his hands onto his lap.

“Sometimes she does my head in, but I love her.”

Robert was quiet for a handful of seconds before he looked at Aaron apologetically. “I’ll give you your phone back. That way you can at least talk to her.”

“Thanks,” Aaron said. Just then his stomach growled. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. What’s for dinner?”

*****

Whatever plans Robert originally had for them that night, neither of them were in the right frame of mind for a sex marathon. They ended up getting dressed, and Robert made dinner for them. Aaron charged his phone while Robert cooked. “Do you mind if I give my mum a quick call before we eat?” Aaron asked.

“No, I don’t mind,” Robert said, as he set the kitchen table. Aaron preferred to eat there rather than the table in the dining room, which felt more formal. While Aaron retrieved his phone from where it sat on the counter near one of the outlets, Robert hesitantly asked, “Aaron? Are you… happy here with me?”

“Course,” Aaron said, powering on his phone and going to sit at the table. He was quickly getting used to having Robert make his meals for him. It was going to be difficult to leave Home Farm after his month was up! Aaron fidgeted with his phone in between taking bites of the pasta dish Robert had made. “This is delicious,” he said.

“Thanks,” Robert said. Aaron noticed the blond was looking at him in amusement. It probably was rude of him to be checking his missed calls and his texts while they were eating, but it was impossible to ignore now that he had his phone back. It didn’t escape his notice that a great many of the missed calls were from Finn. He’d almost forgotten that the younger man was apparently pining after him.

“Hang on,” Aaron said, getting to the last text Chas had sent him.

“What is it?” Robert asked, concerned.

“My mum- she says it’s Cain. He’s sick! He may be dying and he’s in hospital!” Aaron said, reading her text. “She doesn’t say anything else!”

“Then… you should go to him,” Robert said.

“What?” Aaron asked, taken by surprise. Robert had been pretty strict about Aaron staying at Home Farm 24/7, so strict that he wasn’t expecting him to let go so easily.

“Go, be with your family.”

“Will you come with me?” Aaron asked, seeing that Robert looked sad. It was like the other man was certain that once Aaron left, he’d never come back.

Robert shook his head, then said, “Take the Austin-Healey. You can think of me every time you look at it,” he suggested with a small smile.

“It’s likely too late to visit Cain in hospital, but I want to see my mum,” Aaron said as he got to his feet. “Thanks. You know, for understanding that they need me.” Coming around the table, Aaron reached out to stroke Robert’s cheek before leaning down to kiss him. “I’ll probably spend the night, but I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Robert agreed, voice coming out uncertain. Aaron knew he was prone to feeling vulnerable and insecure, but he put his worries for Robert aside for the moment. He needed to go see his mum. And once Aaron came back tomorrow, Robert would realize that Aaron wasn’t going to run away from him. Giving him one last kiss, Aaron left the house and jogged to the garage. He got in the Austin-Healey, turned the key that was already in the ignition, and drove away from Home Farm.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to post a longer chapter, but at this point I figured those of you following this story would rather have a short chapter than no chapter lol.
> 
> I've been helping to cover for a coworker who had to have surgery. She's due back at work next Monday, so this is my last week of overtime! I'm sure many of you have noticed I stopped posting as often- sorry about that, but I've been pretty much brain dead after work. I can't write when I'm like that. Starting next week I'll go back to posting twice a week.

He’d gotten a few stares when he drove the Austin-Healey into the car park, but no one commented as he made his way inside the pub. When he walked in, he found Chas and Diane standing behind the bar. His mum was staring down at the glass she was filling with ale and didn’t notice him as he walked up to the bar. “Mum?” he said.

“Aaron!” she cried, looking up to see him standing there. She set the half filled glass in front of Andy Sugden, who peered down at it in surprise as Chas hurried around the bar and came over to give Aaron a hug.

“Steady!” he said as her body collided with his. “I’m here,” he reassured her as he wrapped his arms around her carefully. They usually weren’t overly affectionate with each other because it tended to embarrass him, so he wasn’t used to getting very many hugs from her.

“You don’t know how glad I am to have you back! I was starting to think I’d never see you again. How did you escape Home Farm? Does Robert even know you’re gone?”

Aaron pulled back from the hug. “I didn’t escape!” he told her, scowling. “What, you thought he was keeping me there in chains or something? He told me to go after he returned my phone and I saw your message about Cain.”

“Robert just let you go?” she asked in disbelief. “That horrible beast just let you walk out like nothing?”

He couldn’t really blame her for disliking Robert, but her hatred of him just didn’t fit with what Aaron knew about him. “Look, he’s different now,” he told her, uncertain how to describe the difference in Robert from the man who’d made Chas scrub his floors to the man who had hugged Aaron after he’d told him about Jackson. “He’s changed.”

“Changed?” Chas asked suspiciously, sharp eyes examining his face. He could see the moment she realized what was going on. “Aaron, you idiot! You’re with him aren’t you?” Before he could answer, someone called his name from behind him. “We’ll finish this later,” Chas warned him as he turned around.

Aaron stiffened when Finn walked right up to him and hugged him. “I’m sorry about your uncle,” he said. Aaron pulled away from the hug and took a couple steps back, earning a glare from Chas.

“Yeah, about that,” Aaron said, trying to ignore the way Finn was staring at him. “Mum, you never said what was wrong with Cain. What’s happened?”

“The doctors say he has an aneurysm.”

“He what?”

“I don’t know much more than that,” Chas told him. “Look, there’s the family now. I asked them to come, for support.” Aaron glanced over Finn’s shoulder to see Zak, Lisa, Belle and Sam walking in together. Debbie and Marlon were missing, but she was probably at hospital with her dad, and Marlon was likely in the pub’s kitchen working. When Aaron looked back at his mum, she was glaring at him again. “I also thought I’d need them to help me bust you out of Home Farm, but apparently you do just fine on your own when it comes to Robert.”

“Aaron?” Finn said. “Can I get you anything? Tea? A pint?”

“Thanks, I’ll buy my own if I need it,” Aaron said, trying to discourage the lad. “Look, I’ve got… things going on, with my family. Now’s not a good time, yeah?” He gave Finn a clap on the shoulder and moved past him so he could walk to the table the Dingles had just sat down at. They had chosen to push two small round tables together so they could be near the bar. Diane was already pouring a round of pints for everyone except Belle.

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” Finn said, like he was reassuring Aaron. “You need support right now.”

“No, I need my family right now,” Aaron told him, walking the short distance to the tables and sitting down next to Sam. There was no spot for Finn to sit, but instead of taking the hint, he grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it over next to Aaron. Chas also pulled up a chair, and he saw his family eyeing Finn curiously.

“Maybe now’s not the time,” Chas told Finn gently, rightly guessing that Aaron didn’t want him there.

“It’s really not,” Aaron added.

“I’m staying,” Finn insisted. “I care about what happens to Cain too!” Everyone just looked at him, staring in disbelief. “Alright,” Finn said, reaching up to adjust his glasses. “So maybe I don’t know Cain. It doesn’t mean I don’t care!”

“So,” Zak said after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence while everyone looked at Aaron’s red face and Finn’s determined expression. “What’s the deal with this Robert bloke? Is he dangerous, do you think? Is he still trying to cause trouble for our Chas?”

“No,” Aaron said, ignoring the way Chas crossed her arms at that. “No, he’s not out to hurt anyone. Look, I know he gave us a hard time because of the car, but he’s actually a decent bloke. He’s not angry about the car anymore. I’m going to fix it, and it’s up to me and my mum to pay for parts.”

“That’s better than we were expecting,” Lisa said, looking around at the others as they all nodded at that.

“Robert comes off a bit arrogant at first, but once you get to know him, he’s actually, you know…” Aaron shrugged rather than struggle to find the right words to describe Robert.

“Kind?” Chas offered, baring her teeth in a fake smile. “Gentle? As generous as we thought he was selfish?”

“Yeah, he’s kind,” Aaron told her, rolling his eyes. “He’s a mate, and I could do without you taking jabs at him. Robert’s not perfect, but you’re the one that had to go and batter his car in the first place.”

Finn fidgeted in his chair. “If I didn’t know better I’d think you had feelings for this monster,” he joked, with an awkward smile.

“He’s no monster,” Aaron said, frowning and folding his arms on top of the table as he leaned forward. He didn’t deny that he had feelings for Robert though.

Belle also leaned forward, speaking before it could get any more uncomfortable. “I thought his wife killed herself after he cheated on her?”

“Has he said anything about the rumors?” Zak asked.

“Did he say owt of Katie?” Sam wanted to know.

Finn seemed to finally be getting the idea that Aaron was more interested in Robert than him. He was quick to jump in, saying, “Are you sure there isn’t anything in the water at Home Farm? You haven’t gone mad or something? Robert’s own family won’t even talk to him anymore! They’ve written him off, and you should probably do the same.”

“The way I hear it, they just threw a bunch of accusations at him without bothering to ask him what happened,” Aaron said defensively. “Look, no offense, mate, but why are you even here?”

“What do you mean?” Finn asked while the Dingles watched the drama unfold.

“I’m trying to find out what’s happened to Cain,” Aaron said. “I don’t see what that has to do with you.”

“Sorry,” Finn said stiffly. “I didn’t realize I wasn’t wanted here.” The legs of Finn’s chair scraped the floor as he abruptly stood and stormed out of the pub.

Chas sighed, looking up at the ceiling as if searching for patience. “Did you have to be so hard on him?”

“What?” Aaron demanded, shrugging. “I told him when he got here that I didn’t have time for him. It’s his own fault for hanging around where he’s not wanted.”

“I thought you two were dating,” Belle spoke up, looking at Aaron curiously.

“Yeah, well we’re not.”

“You could do worse,” a deep, quiet voice said from somewhere behind Aaron. Taking his arms off the table, Aaron sat up straight and looked over his shoulder. Andy was sitting at the bar, sipping from the half filled pint glass that Chas had given him before she ran over to greet Aaron.

“What’s it to you?” Aaron asked, frowning. It wasn’t like Andy to stick his nose in other people’s business.

Andy gave a shrug and said, “I don’t give a toss who you date, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation-”

“Eavesdropping, were you?”

“If that’s what you want to call it,” Andy agreed. “I wouldn’t get too close to Robert if I were you. Take advice from someone who knows what they’re talking about, eh?” Aaron watched as Andy drank the rest of his pint and walked out the door.

“Was Andy right?” Lisa asked, bringing Aaron’s attention back to the table. “Is something going on between you and Robert?”

Aaron rubbed at his beard, irritated. He could tell from the expressions on the faces around him that no one was thrilled at the idea. Chas and Belle wore the most sour expressions, while everyone else looked mildly disapproving. “Just leave it, alright? Do any of you lot know what’s going on with Cain?”

“Just that he’s due for surgery,” Zak told him. “We’ll be going to hospital tomorrow morning if you want to come with.”

“Are you okay, love?” Lisa asked him. “Only you seem on edge. Did something happen while you were at Home Farm?”

So much had happened, but none of it was anything he’d like to share with his family right now. He was on edge, and it was only partly to do with Finn and Andy. He was worried about Cain, but no one else seemed all that concerned. “Nothing happened,” he told her sharply.

“Aaron, there’s a barrel that needs changing,” Chas said out of nowhere.

“So?”

“So, go and change it.”

Aaron looked at her for a moment before standing and making his way around the bar, then down to the cellar. He knew Chas was just trying to get rid of him until his temper cooled. Aaron should probably be grateful for that. There was no point snapping at everyone just because he was worried about his uncle. The Dingles were a thick skinned lot, but that didn’t mean that any of them would appreciate him having a go at them because he was scared his uncle might die. He knew they cared about Cain just as much as he did. All any of them could do was wait until tomorrow for more news. It wasn’t that they weren’t concerned; they’d just had a few more hours to process the news and resign themselves to the wait.

There wasn’t actually a barrel that needed changing, so Aaron stayed there for a few minutes and just tried to calm down. He was thinking of heading back up when the door opened and Chas came down the stairs. “If you’ve come to have a word, don’t bother,” he told his mum. “I know I was out of line up there.”

“Do you?” she said, crossing her arms and drawing her bright blue cardigan around her so that her black blouse was barely visible underneath it. “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you? Is it just Cain, or is it something else?”

“So my uncle being at death’s door isn’t supposed to do my head in?” he demanded.

She held out a hand, as if trying to stop his words. “Who said anything about Cain dying? He’s lucky to have caught the problem early! If he’d left it to later, the aneurysm could have killed him! With the surgery, he’ll recover and be back home terrifying the locals within a week.”

Aaron allowed himself to process that for a moment as she crossed her arms again. “So how did he end up catching it early? I can’t picture him willingly going to hospital.”

“He was round here yesterday making plans to go to Home Farm and have a word with Robert. He was sitting on the sofa, and when he got up he had a dizzy spell. He tried to brush it off like it was nothing, but he passed out on his way to the door. I took him to hospital myself and wouldn’t leave when the doctor came to give him the results from the tests. I’m sure if I had, he’d have lied and said he was fine.”

“That must have given you a scare,” Aaron said, seeing his mum looked shaken.

She sighed and shook her head. “You have no idea. The doctors seem confident about the surgery, so I guess we just have to trust them.” They stood there together, each with their own worries for Cain. “So,” she said, and by her tone alone he knew she was going to ask him about Robert. She said it like she was gathering her resolve to face an unpleasant conversation. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on between you and the beast?”

“Beast? Really?”

Chas shrugged, lifting a hand briefly to tuck her hair behind her ear. “You can’t expect me to like him. He had me scrubbing floors on my hands and knees, I’ll have you know! I’d have thought you’d hate it there. It’s me who’s left to wash your dishes and your laundry most days. I’m having trouble picturing you doing housework for Robert.”

Aaron felt his cheeks heat. “Well, I haven’t been.”

His mum grimaced, looking like she’d just swallowed a bug. “Don’t tell me he’s asked you to… you know!” she said, waving her hands at him.

“Mum!” he protested, feeling even hotter around the collar. “He’s not some kind of pervert!”

“Sorry, but I had to ask! I don’t trust him, Aaron, and neither should you.”

“I’ve been working on his cars for him,” Aaron explained.

“The Audi?”

“No, he had this other one that got caught in the hail earlier this week,” he said, not going into detail about that. “But I’m working on the Audi next. Look, I’m not saying I like how he treated you, because I don’t. I just feel like… he needed someone to take a chance on him.”

“Don’t tell me you’re falling in love with him!”

“It’s too soon for that,” Aaron protested.

“But you’re well on your way to loving him, by the looks of it,” Chas said. She looked at him pleadingly then. “Aaron, just think this through for a moment. Think about what kind of man tries to make people sing to his tune. He blackmailed me into this insane agreement, and then he manipulated you into taking my place! I wouldn’t be surprised if he did it just because he fancied you. And what about Katie? He left my best mate to die out in the cold alone! You can’t just ignore all that.”

“You’re just going to have to trust me,” he told her.

“But-”

“Mum, he’s told me everything! I know what happened with Katie better than you do. Maybe he is responsible, but if you’re going to blame him for it, then you may as well blame me for what happened to Jackson.”

Chas shook her head. “That’s not the same thing!”

“Close enough. I’m just telling you now that you don’t have all the facts.”

“Is that right?” she asked, setting her hands on her hips and glaring at him, frustrated. “Then why don’t you explain it to me? Hm?”

Aaron rolled his eyes at her then, hating the way she was acting but not able to entirely blame her for it. “I can’t tell you everything, not until I know he’s comfortable with it. If I have any say in it, then you and his family will know soon enough. All I can tell you now is that he didn’t realize Katie was stranded. He thought she was there to have another go at him, since the two of them were always fighting. He told her to leave, and she did. It’s not like he left her there to kick at his door, trying to get in!”

Chas frowned, and she seemed to be thinking about it. “All you have is his word that that’s what happened.”

“And you don’t even have anyone’s word that that’s _not_ what happened. The way I understand it, Robert tried to explain, but Andy went off the rails and attacked him. Everyone was so ready to believe the worst of Robert.”

“You would have been too, if you’d seen him after he moved back here. The things he’d say when he and Katie were having a row!”

Aaron took a deep breath, feeling like he was getting through to her, even if she was still going on about how terrible Robert was. Her posture had gotten a bit less rigid, and her expression had gone from angry to resigned. “Just… wait until you get a chance to talk to him yourself, eh? See what he has to say. If you don’t like it, you can go back to hating his guts.”

“I guess that’s fair. Although I still don’t get what you see in him.” Before he could answer, they both heard a noise from the top of the stairs. “Don’t tell me that was the lock,” Chas groaned.

“It sounded like it,” Aaron said.

“Well, come on, then. It was probably Diane. We’ll just have to try and get her attention.” They headed up the stairs together, Aaron going first. He tried the doorknob and pressed his shoulder hard against it, but it wouldn’t open.

“Oi!” he shouted. “Anyone out there?”

“I’m not letting you out,” came a voice through the door.

Aaron stood there at the top of the stairs, surprised. “Finn?” he asked, looking at his mum over his shoulder. She gave a shrug, clearly not sure what was going on either.

“I don’t know what happened to you when you went to Home Farm, but I’m going to go have a word with Robert Sugden and find out.”

“Right, don’t be boring,” Aaron told him, rolling his eyes at the idea of Finn “having a word” with Robert. Like anyone had doubts how that would turn out! “Let me out already.”

“No, I think he’s brainwashed you or something.”

“You do realize how stupid that sounds, don’t you?” Aaron pointed out.

Chas slapped his back. “Oi! We want him to let us out, remember? Maybe try not to make him angry?” she suggested, voice quiet.

“Maybe. I don’t know,” Finn was saying, apparently not hearing Chas through the door. “All I know is that we slept together, then he worked out some kind of twisted deal with your mum and forced you to stay there. Who even does something like that? He took away your phone and kept you there for a week! And now that you’re back, you’re acting different. Something’s going on, and I’m going to find out what it is. We’re going to Home Farm to ask Robert some questions.”

“We?” Aaron asked, suddenly concerned. If it was just Finn going up to Home Farm, he wasn’t worried. Robert could take care of himself if Finn took a swing at him for “stealing” Aaron. “What do you mean? Who’s going with you? Finn? Finn! Come on, I’ve got my mum in here with me! Let us out!”

Chas sighed. “And here I thought he was the nice one. You attract real weirdos, you do know that, don’t you?”

He stared at her when she began to laugh. “It’s not funny! We’re stuck here until Diane or Marlon comes to let us out. You don’t think he’s dangerous, do you?”

“Finn? Are you kidding me? He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“Well, who does he hang out with?” Aaron asked. “It sounded like he wasn’t going to Home Farm alone.”

“He’s good mates with Victoria.” Aaron relaxed a bit at that. Vic and Finn weren’t going to do much harm to Robert if they barged into Home Farm all bothered. “Of course,” Chas added, “maybe he’s going over there with his brothers.”

Aaron sighed. Of course he was. That made more sense than dragging Vic with him. “Alright, so who are these brothers, and how many are there?”

“Two. Pete and Ross Barton.”

“Ross?” Aaron demanded. “The same Ross who was getting Adam into trouble and who organized that stupid deal that got Donna killed?” Aaron took a deep breath, rubbing his face. This was bad. Ross hated him because Aaron had interrupted the job that ended up costing Donna her life. He’d gone to stop Adam from getting into trouble. Adam had been Ross and Donna’s lookout, so Ross now blamed Aaron for ruining things and getting Donna killed. That was nonsense of course. Ross had only himself to blame for what had happened to his girlfriend.

If he had to take a guess, he’d say Ross wasn’t too happy that Finn was gagging after Aaron. So now he had double the motivation to try and get back at Aaron by going after Robert. “I have to warn Robert,” Aaron said, looking over at Chas. “This is all my fault! Mum, how are we going to get out of here?”

“There’s only one way out,” Chas said. “Come on, let’s try to get Diane’s attention.” She sidled up the narrow stairs until both of them were pressed together at the top. Aaron joined in when she started banging on the door, trying to get someone’s attention. He had to get to Home Farm before anything happened to Robert!


	8. Chapter 8

Home Farm seemed quiet with Aaron away. Robert felt the solitude of his home closing in on him like a great weight within just an hour of the younger man driving off in the Austin-Healey. He sat around the kitchen alone for a while, working his way through a bottle of wine while he watched the pasta he’d cooked earlier cool until the red sauce began congealing in an unappealing fashion. He drained glass after glass until the bottle was empty, and he had to try and find something else to do with himself. He placed the empty wine bottle down by the bowl of pasta and left the kitchen.

It wasn’t long before he found himself in the garage, just pacing the center aisle of the converted stable. The garage was where Aaron spent most of his time. Over the past week, Robert had found himself sneaking out to the garage often. Sometimes he’d help Aaron with repairs to the Austin-Healey. Other times, he’d sneak in and quietly watch Aaron work while the younger man was distracted.

It was a little frightening how quickly Robert had gotten used to his presence.

Now the garage seemed eerily silent without the welcoming sounds of tools clanking together, or the sound of a car bonnet being shut. Still, Aaron would be back soon enough, and then the noises from the garage would start up again. Things wouldn’t stay this quiet for long. Aaron had said he would return to Home Farm after he visited Cain in hospital tomorrow. Robert had no real reason to doubt Aaron’s word, but he couldn’t help but wonder if time spent away from him would make the younger man reconsider. After all, Chas was hardly Robert’s biggest fan, was she? And Robert knew how much Aaron loved her. She could be talking to him at this very moment, convincing him not to go back to Home Farm the next day.

Robert stopped pacing and stood there for a moment, trying to think of what he’d do if Aaron didn’t come back. Obviously he couldn’t force the younger man to return. And if he had to stoop to forcing Aaron to keep him company, it was hardly worth it. As much as the thought of potentially running into his own family displeased him, he decided that if Aaron chose to stay away, then Robert would have to go to him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car coming up the drive. Thinking it must be Aaron, Robert made his way to the garage door. He was more than a little drunk, but he could still walk. He left the garage to meet Aaron, eager to see him. Cain must not have been that ill for the younger man to return so soon. Robert walked outside to stand in front of the house, hearing the gravel shifting and sliding under tires long before the car came into view. It was immediately clear that it wasn’t the Austin-Healey quickly approaching. This car was black, and definitely unfamiliar.

Tucking his hands into the pockets of his trousers, Robert waited for the stranger to pull up. He didn’t get many callers at Home Farm. It was clear as soon as the three men stepped out of the car that whatever they had planned, this was no social call.

“Andy,” Robert greeted his brother, more than a little nervous to see him again after so long. He watched warily as Andy and his two friends slammed the car doors shut and stood there looking at him. He didn’t recognize the men that came to stand at Andy’s back. They were both dark haired. The bearded one had an angry, sly look to him, and Robert immediately guessed him to be a local thug. The other bloke was younger, and looked slightly nervous. Robert watched the lad adjust his glasses and look nervously from Andy to Robert, as if he wasn’t sure what was about to happen.

“I told you if you ever came sniffing about the village again, you’d regret it,” Andy said. Robert saw how his brother clenched his fists at his sides.

Holding his hands up, as if showing Andy he was harmless, Robert said, “I haven’t gone anywhere near the village. I’ve given you your space, like you asked for.” Andy had demanded it, actually. When the police had failed to find Katie’s body, Andy had stormed into Home Farm and had beaten Robert to a bloody pulp. As Robert laid there gasping for breath and in extreme pain, Andy had warned him never to show his face in the village again, or he wouldn’t hold back.

He hadn’t been willing to test his brother on this. Robert had called for an ambulance once Andy left, and he’d been treated at hospital with cracked ribs and a dislocated jaw. After that, he didn’t care to speculate on what state his brother would leave him in next time. It was an easy decision to stay away from the village. Robert had no desire to end up dead. Besides, his guilt over what had happened to Katie had piled on top of how bad he already felt about his wife and daughter. By that point, Robert had no desire to see anyone, feeling like he’d just ruin their lives as well.

“You may not have stepped foot in the village, but you’ve got your claws hooked in now, haven’t you?” Andy said.

“I don’t know what you’re on about.”

Andy shook his head, hands still in tight fists as if he was ready to punch Robert at the slightest provocation. “So you’re telling me you haven’t been bothering Chas and Aaron? I heard them talking at the pub. You’re making their lives miserable, like you made Katie’s life miserable before you killed her!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Robert told him, starting to get worried for his own safety. As concerned as he was about Andy’s motives for showing up so suddenly, he couldn’t help but wonder what Aaron had said to make Andy rush over here. Was Aaron already turning against Robert, after just an hour apart?

“I may not have heard everything, but I overheard enough to know you’re up to no good. And Finn here tells me you forced Aaron to stay here for a week with you, and wouldn’t even let them see each other.”

Robert took another look at the two men standing behind Andy. He’d guess that the bearded bloke would be more Aaron’s type, but Finn had to be the younger one wearing the glasses. It just didn’t make sense for the lad to tag along for this otherwise. He was clearly ill at ease with the aggressive grandstanding going on around him. “You’re Finn?” Robert asked him, just to be sure.

“Yeah,” the lad said awkwardly. He glanced nervously at Andy and the third man before lifting his chin up and squaring his shoulders. “You’d better leave Aaron alone from here on out.” He took another look at everyone before trying to get a little aggressive himself. “Or else!”

“Seriously?” Robert laughed, earning a warning look from the nameless bloke standing next to Finn. “Come on, you’re warning me to stay away? You had a one off with Aaron. Get over it before you really start to look pathetic.”

“Be careful, mate,” the nameless man said. “That’s my brother you’re talking to. I may think he has terrible taste in men, but you mess with Finn then you’re messing with me.”

Realizing he’d let jealousy and too much wine get the better of him, Robert bit back his natural reaction to start trading insults. He’d always had a hard time backing down from fights. It’s why he got punched in the face so often. Robert had to remind himself that this confrontation could quickly come to blows if he said the wrong thing, and he wasn’t holding onto any delusions that he could win a fight against three.

“Look,” Robert said, trying to be the voice of reason. That was no easy task with the wine really starting to kick in now, making his head swim. “I’m not trying to mess with anyone. You’ve delivered your threats. You can leave now.”

“We have your word that you’ll stay away from Aaron?” Finn asked.

Andy spoke up then, saying, “I didn’t even know you were into blokes. Took me completely by surprise when I went after Finn and he told me you were trying to steal his boyfriend.”

Robert rolled his eyes at his brother. “Aaron’s not his boyfriend. It was a one off! It’s not Aaron’s fault the boy doesn’t know the difference.” Looking over Andy’s shoulder at Finn, Robert said, “I changed my mind. You’re beyond pathetic. You’re a joke, going after a man who isn’t even interested in you.”

Finn’s brother started toward him, but the lad grabbed onto him. “Ross, don’t!”

Ross pointed threateningly at Robert, “I’m warning you, leave my brother alone.”

“Believe me, I have absolutely zero interest in your brother,” Robert scoffed. “Finn and I will be fine as long as he realizes Aaron can make up his own mind. Warning me off isn’t going to change the fact that Aaron’s never going to be interested.”

“Finn and you may be fine, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re forgetting I told you to stay away from the village,” Andy spoke up. “That means you back off both Chas and Aaron.”

The last time Andy had told him to stay away, Robert had just reached rock bottom. All he had wanted to do was close himself off from everyone and everything. Now, it was different. Aaron had changed things. He’d shown up at Robert’s door and turned his life upside down. “I can’t promise you that,” Robert told his brother. “I can leave Chas alone about the car she battered, but if Aaron wants to see me, I’m not going to turn him down just because you’ve got this vendetta against me for something I didn’t even do.”

“You killed Katie!” Andy shouted. “Don’t deny it!”

“And Aaron doesn’t want to be with you,” Finn added. “He told me himself!”

Robert paused then, taken by surprise. He couldn’t help but feel hurt, even though he didn’t entirely believe the boy. “Yeah, right!” he said, trying to laugh it off.

“He called you arrogant, and he said that all he wants is to be with his family now that Cain’s in hospital. He won’t be coming back here.”

“It’s true, I heard him,” Ross said. “Believe me, I wish Aaron would leave my brother alone. Finn’s better off without him. You should count yourself lucky Aaron was just playing you. He’s responsible for my girlfriend’s death! Same as you’re responsible for Katie’s! He killed his first boyfriend, and who knows what he did to the bloke he went to France with.”

“Just leave Aaron alone,” Finn added. “You’ve intimidated him enough already.”

Robert didn’t want to believe Finn or Ross, but he’d had his doubts from the beginning. He’d always worried that Aaron was just giving Robert what he wanted in order to get Chas off lightly. Shattered, Robert turned his back on them all and started toward the house. “Just leave me in peace,” he said.

He probably should have expected it, but he wasn’t thinking straight. That’s why he was taken by surprise when strong hands grabbed him from behind. “I don’t think we can do that, mate,” Ross said into his ear. “You tried to steal my brother’s boyfriend. You killed Andy’s wife. We’re here to teach you a lesson. Actually, Andy’s here to teach you a lesson. I’m just here for my brother and a few souvenirs. This is quite a nice place you've got here.”

Robert struggled as Ross was joined by Andy and they muscled him into the house. “Take whatever booty you can find,” Andy said. “But remember, this beast is mine!”

He was really starting to regret drinking an entire bottle of wine now. His limbs felt heavy and uncoordinated as Andy and Ross shoved him inside the house. Robert resigned himself to getting a beating, but he’d be damned if he was going down quietly. “Booty? Seriously?” Robert laughed at Andy. “You do know that I’ll just phone the police and report this, don’t you?”

“What makes you think you’ll be in any state to phone them after I’m done with you?” Andy asked.

Robert hadn’t been struggling too much before, but at those words he pulled away and made a run for it. They had made it into the entryway, and he wrenched free from their hands, darting into the kitchen toward the door there that lead out to the garden. He only made it to the island before someone grabbed hold of him. Robert flailed his arms around, fingers grabbing as he searched for something to use as a weapon. His left hand smacked into the empty wine bottle and the bowl of cold pasta, sending both clattering to the floor. The contents of the bowl spilled to the floor and he slipped, falling into the mess.

It was Andy who had grabbed him from behind. When Robert went down, feet sliding out from under him, Andy pounced. The first punch caught Robert on his left cheekbone, making his entire face throb with the pain. “Get up! Get up! What's the matter, Robert? Too kind and gentle to fight back? I heard Aaron call you that. What a joke! You make me sick.”

“No!” Robert heard Finn shout from somewhere nearby. “Andy, don’t!”

Andy wasn’t listening. Robert cowered under him as Andy straddled him, swinging at his face. He tried to shield his head as best he could, but the wine was making it nearly impossible to get his body to do what he wanted it to do. Robert could feel his skin splitting under Andy’s angry fist, hot blood flowing from his mouth. He yelped as Andy smashed his nose, the pain so sharp it made his teeth hurt. Blood filled his nostrils, making it hard to breathe. He started trying to fight Andy off then, worried his brother wasn’t going to stop until Robert was dead.

“That’s right!” Andy shouted as Robert shoved at him. “Come on and fight!” He threw another punch, catching Robert right in the eye. “If Aaron could see you now! You’re pathetic! Are you in love with him? Did you honestly think he’d want you when he could have a decent bloke like Finn? It’s over, Robert! I’m not letting you hurt anyone else!”

“Robert!”

“Aaron.” He could have wept at the sound of that voice. Aaron had come back after all. It gave Robert the strength to grab hold of the large serving bowl he’d dumped earlier and swing it right at Andy’s head. Robert was too disoriented and hurt to make it more than a glancing blow, but it was enough to knock Andy back. And then Aaron was there, swinging at the bigger man with so much fury that Andy was knocked off of Robert entirely.

“Oi!” Robert heard Ross shout from somewhere nearby. He tried to sit up, so he could keep Ross off of Aaron while the younger man was occupied with Andy. His limbs weren’t cooperating, leaving him sprawled on his back helplessly.

“Don’t you even think about it!” he heard Chas yell. Robert looked over, seeing her standing there in the kitchen. She was pointing at Ross in warning while she held her phone to her ear, clearly in the process of calling the police.

“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist,” Ross told her, his arms too full of stolen items to make him a threat. “I haven’t touched anyone. Finn, come on! We’re out of here.”

“You put that stuff down, or I’ll send the police to your door,” she told him. Ross dumped everything on the floor and ran for it, with Finn following him out.

Chas put her phone in her pocket, making Robert wonder if her phone call to the police had merely been a bluff. She ran over to Aaron and pulled him off of Andy, who was starting to give as good as he got. Robert was horrified to see that Aaron was bleeding from a split lip. “Oi! Stop that, now!” Chas shouted as the two men tried getting at each other while she stood in the way. “That’s enough! Andy, you’d better get out of here before I really call the police. Get out!”

Robert saw his brother reluctantly leave, still looking furious. He had no doubt that he’d be hearing from Andy soon. Hopefully he would wait long enough for Robert to recover from his current injuries before he came back.

It was finally just Robert alone with Aaron and Chas. “Aaron,” he coughed, mouth full of blood. “You came back,” he said, still hardly able to believe it. He had to say it again, trying to make it real. “You came back.”

“Of course I came back,” Aaron told him, voice low as he came to kneel down beside Robert and stroke his hair. “I couldn’t let them… This is all my fault. If only I’d gotten here sooner!”

“Maybe it’s better this way,” Robert whispered. He’d made such a mess of things with Louisa and Isabelle, and then he’d come home to Emmerdale and ruined his relationship with his family. He was always hurting people and pushing them away.

“Don’t talk like that,” Aaron said, fingers tangled gently in Robert’s hair. “You’ll be alright. We’re together now. Everything’s going to be fine. You’ll see!”

He looked up at Aaron, taking in the sight of blue eyes filled with tears. Even with his entire body aching and his vision beginning to swim, Robert could see the beauty of the man kneeling over him. This past week with Aaron had been the best seven days of his life, hands down. “At least I got to see you one… last… time,” Robert struggled to say, blood dripping from his mouth and nose, making him feel like he was drowning in it. He worked to raise his hand up to Aaron’s cheek. The younger man had to help him, wrapping his hand around Robert’s and pressing it to his face. They gazed at each other for a second, and then Robert could feel himself slipping away.

The last thing he saw was Aaron crying over him. He couldn’t stop his eyes from fluttering shut, or his hand from dropping back down to his side. Robert was barely conscious as Aaron's fingers clenched into the fabric covering his chest. “Robert,” he heard the younger man call his name, trying to get him to open his eyes. “No, no! Please! Please! Please don’t leave me!” Aaron wept. “I love you,” he moaned, sounding brokenhearted. Robert fought to stay awake as he felt Aaron press their foreheads together. He felt like his heart was going to burst as Aaron knelt over him, voice a tortured whisper as he once again said, “I love you.”

*****

“Aaron, love,” he heard his mum say as she tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie, trying to get him up off of Robert.

He raised his face from where he had pressed his forehead against Robert’s. “Call an ambulance,” he told her, wondering why she was just standing there.

“I would, but it’d just land Andy in a whole heap of trouble,” Chas told him.

Aaron stared at her, hardly believing what he was hearing. “I don’t give a flaming toss about Andy! Robert needs to go to hospital!”

“Aaron, if we call an ambulance, the police will come and start asking questions. I know Andy was wrong to have come here with Finn and Ross, but he shouldn’t go to jail for this! Think of Debbie and the kids.”

“Mum, look at him!” Aaron shouted, incredulous. He reached down and stroked his hand through Robert’s hair again, worried sick. “Robert’s hurt. He might be dying, and all you can talk about is how you’re worried Andy might be sent down for beating up his brother!”

“Aaron, Robert took a beating. It’s not like Andy came in here and shot him,” she told him reasonably.

He felt like they were having two separate conversations. Aaron couldn’t understand how she could be so blase about this while Robert was sprawled on the floor, bleeding and broken. “Give me your phone,” he ordered. “I left mine in the car, and if you won’t call the ambulance, I will!”

“Aaron-”

“Mum, he could die! Look at him! He’s laying in a pool of blood. It’s everywhere!”

“Aaron, sweetheart,” his mum soothed him, looking strangely like she was about to laugh. “It’s pasta sauce.”

“What?” Aaron looked down at Robert, surprised. Damned if she wasn't right. Robert wasn't surrounded by a pool of his own blood. He was sprawled over a mess of pasta.

When Aaron had first run into the kitchen to find Andy on top of Robert, giving him a beating, all Aaron could see was red everywhere. It was all over Robert’s face and pooled underneath him. There hadn’t been time to register much else besides that. Aaron had launched himself at Andy, not holding back. The other man was larger than him, and if he had let up for even one second, he would have lost the advantage that his surprise attack had given him. He beat Andy down, and had barely noticed it when the other man landed a few punches. He hadn’t felt it until after his mum got between them and ended the fight. Andy had left with Ross and Finn, but all Aaron could focus on was Robert on the floor, unable to get up.

Now that he took the time to actually look, it was clear that most of the red everywhere was due to the leftover pasta from their dinner being smeared all over the floor. Robert had to be on top of most of the noodles, with the sauce flaring out from under him. Without panic riding Aaron, he could clearly see that what he had originally taken for a pool of blood was nothing more than tomato sauce. Robert was still very obviously injured, but he wasn’t bleeding out like Aaron had feared.

“He’s not dying,” Aaron said, trying to wrap his mind around that.

“No,” Chas said, resting her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. “He just knocked over a bowl of pasta and sat in it. And by the look of it, he’s had a lot to drink," she added, pointing out the empty bottle of wine nearby. "I think he’s just passed out, love.”

Feeling simultaneously relieved and embarrassed, Aaron got to his feet. “Help me get him cleaned up?” he asked her hesitantly.

She gave him a small smile, clearly struggling not to grin and embarrass him further. He had a feeling he wouldn’t hear the end of this, ever. “Of course,” she said. “You roll him over and I’ll get some towels.”

“Thanks,” Aaron said weakly, very much aware that he’d just confessed his love for Robert rather dramatically. He was sure his mum would want to speak to him about that later. For now, she let him pretend that he hadn’t just wept over a man who was sleeping off a bit of wine and a good decking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I couldn't have a super dramatic moment where Robert as the Beast floats magically in the air with light shooting from his eyes and fingernails as he transforms into a human, I opted to go in a completely different direction and make it humorous. Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> One chapter left to go so I can wrap up some loose ends. Thank you all for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

For the second time in a week, Robert woke to find himself on the sofa with a splitting headache. This time, it had the definite feel of a hangover rather than a concussion. His head was throbbing and his mouth was dry. Those were the first things Robert was aware of when he woke. The third thing he came to realize was that he was completely naked. It wasn’t unusual for him to go to sleep in the buff, but only ever in the privacy of his bedroom.

Despite feeling horrible enough that all he wanted to do was go back to sleep, Robert made himself wake up entirely. His eyes felt glued shut, and he had to rub at them before they would stay open. Someone - Aaron most likely - had tossed a sheet over him to cover his nakedness. Robert reached up to run his hand through his messy hair. The feel of his own fingers ruffling through it brought to mind that night Aaron had tended to him after Robert had fallen down the side of the hill and bumped his head. When he had regained consciousness, Aaron had been sitting at his side, smoothing his hand through Robert’s locks. This time, Aaron was nowhere to be found. Blinking blearily, Robert looked around the living room. He checked the nearby armchairs first before glancing around the rest of the room. He was definitely alone.

Sighing, he made himself sit up. His entire body was stiff, and his face felt like it was about to fall off. Robert carefully reached up to feel it, the pads of his fingers running gently over puffy skin and lightly scabbed cuts. Andy had definitely done a number on him, and Robert didn’t have to stand in front of a mirror to know he probably looked like Frankenstein’s monster right now. Once he was sitting upright, he spotted a note waiting for him on the coffee table. He reached over, wincing as he moved, feeling his muscles protest.

The note was from Aaron. It was short and to the point. “I’ve gone to see Cain in hospital. Be back later.” Robert read it a few times, smiling a bit even though it hurt his split lips. Everything about Aaron made him smile, even meaningless little notes. Today he felt like he had even more reason to be happy. Last night, right before he’d passed out, he had heard Aaron tell him that he loved him.

That thought made Robert push past the urge to lay back down and pass out again. He levered himself up onto his feet and headed upstairs, with the sheet wrapped around him. He wanted to be ready for Aaron later. It wouldn’t be romantic at all if the younger man came back and found Robert still lounging on the sofa, smelling like tomato sauce.

Robert made his way up the stairs and directly to the bathroom. He dropped the sheet as soon as he closed the door behind him, and then drew himself a bath. He indulged in a long soak in the soapy hot water, which did a lot to alleviate most of his aches from the beating he’d taken the night before. He was still bruised and cut up, but his muscles didn’t feel so sore. Once the water had gone tepid, he was feeling much better than he had when he first woke up.

That was for the best, because he had plans. He wanted to tell Aaron that he felt the same. He would never have had the nerve to tell Aaron he loved him if the younger man hadn’t said it first. Part of Robert felt like it was too soon. They had only known each other a week! Just because it was all happening quickly didn’t make it wrong though. Robert had felt more of a connection with Aaron from the moment he first saw him than he had felt with Louisa by the time he married her. He had been so certain of himself when he decided to propose to her, and look how his marriage had turned out.

Robert had already had a traditional relationship. He had spent time dating Louisa, he had married her, and he’d had a child with her. Now, he was at an entirely different point in his life. What he had with Aaron would never be traditional. Robert wanted the passion and the security he felt with the younger man. And that’s why today would be the day.

Today was the day Robert was going to tell Aaron he loved him.

As Robert dried himself off, he felt both nervous and excited. He had to think of some way to declare himself to Aaron. This was no time to be timid. He would be bold, daring. Maybe he should plan out something romantic, like a candlelit dinner with some music in the background. And then, when the time was right, he would confess his love. He cared for Aaron more than anything. Robert had to tell him how he felt, before someone else got in the way. He wouldn’t put it past Finn to try and get in good with Aaron while Robert wasn’t around.

With that in mind, he paid special attention to his appearance as he got dressed. He could wish he wasn’t all bruised, but there was no way he was putting this off for later.

 

*****

 

“See, I told you Cain was fine,” Chas said as they got out of the Austin-Healey. Aaron followed his mum into the pub as she spoke. “We’ll go back tonight after the surgery to check on him.”

“I feel better now that I’ve seen him myself,” Aaron admitted.

“Pint?” Chas offered as they walked into the Woolie. Aaron nodded and took a seat on one of the stools while his mum went around the bar to help Diane. The lunch crowd had the older woman struggling to keep up with the orders, and Aaron saw her smile over at Chas gratefully when his mum joined her.

Despite Chas’ bravado, Aaron knew she was just as worried about Cain as he was. Otherwise, she’d have been on him about Robert as soon as they got in the car together this morning. Instead, she had been uncharacteristically quiet as he drove them to hospital. Aaron sat at the bar and sipped his pint, watching his mum as she worked. She looked better now. Less worried.

He probably would have escaped any uncomfortable questions if he had turned down the pint and just headed back to Home Farm. The only reason he hadn’t was because he was hoping the pint might calm his nerves over Cain’s operation. He was also trying to put off the drive back to Home Farm. Aaron wanted to see Robert, but after that whole scene last night, he was feeling a bit raw. He felt raw enough that he hadn’t bothered to wait for Robert to wake up before leaving for hospital. Aaron preferred to face any indignation the older man felt at being left alone and naked on the sofa than to have to figure out how he was going to act around Robert now.

It was a good thing Robert had passed out before Aaron told him he loved him. The older man would likely run a mile. Aaron didn’t want him to think he was getting all clingy.

He took too long finishing his pint. Chas hit a lull as she helped Diane, and she was able to turn back toward him and pounce. “So,” she said, sliding a second pint toward him. Aaron drained the last of his first glass and accepted the second, knowing he’d need it. “You and Robert are getting close.”

“So?” Aaron asked defensively. “What’s it to you?”

“Nothing, nothing,” she said, with a forced smile. She rested her elbows on the bar and leaned in toward him. “Only it’s just going a bit fast, that’s all.”

“It’s only been a week,” he told her, purposely pretending he didn’t know what she was talking about. “How fast can things go in a week?”

“You’re already driving around in one of his fancy cars like it’s your own,” she pointed out. “And if that weren’t enough, you told him you loved him.”

“Yeah, when he was passed out and I thought he was dying! I’d never have said it otherwise,” he said dismissively before taking a sip from his pint.

“But you meant it,” Chas pressed. She glanced around, making sure no one was listening in before she added, “Maybe you wouldn’t have come out and said it to him if he was awake, but when you thought he was dying, you said the first thing that came to mind. I don’t know what you see in him, but you really do love him. Aaron, just please think about what you’re doing!”

“Mum, you don’t know him,” Aaron told her. “Not like I do.”

“You keep saying that, but you won’t tell me anything else!”

“Because it’s not my story to tell,” he insisted. “I can’t just go blabbing everything Robert tells me.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but Aaron shook his head and got to his feet. “Leave it, alright? I’ve got to go.”

“Don’t bother,” she said sourly, looking over his shoulder. “Looks like he came to find you instead.”

Aaron turned and saw Robert walking through the pub door. Throughout his stay at Home Farm, Aaron had mostly seen Robert wearing jeans paired with soft cashmere jumpers in various colors. Today, he wore a dark grey suit, as if he were about to go to a business meeting. Aaron couldn’t stop himself from eyeing the older man in appreciation. He liked the way the suit jacket showed off Robert’s shoulders and waist.

Much like the first time they had met, Aaron was finding it difficult to form words. It didn’t help that Robert was looking right at him, gaze so intense it made Aaron feel like he was being sucked in toward the other man. Thankfully, Diane wasn’t experiencing the same issue with being tongue tied. “Robert!” the older woman exclaimed, obviously surprised to see her stepson. “What on earth happened to your face?”

“Er,” Robert said, seeming almost surprised to see her when he finally took his eyes off of Aaron. Funny enough, until Diane pointed out his face, Aaron had managed to look right past the bruises. Now he winced, wondering how much pain the older man had to be in right now.

“Actually, don’t answer that,” Diane said, holding up a hand. “I don’t want to know. You were probably out winding someone up. What are you doing here, Robert? You know Andy and Victoria will be upset if they see you here.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not here to see them, eh?” Robert said lightly, but Aaron could tell he was bothered. There was something off in the tone of his voice.

Diane shook her head at him. “To be honest, I’m not that keen to see you either. You made a right mess of things the last time you showed up.”

“I’m here for Aaron, thanks, Diane,” Robert said, looking a bit tense now.

Aaron waved him over and said, “Let’s go through to the back, yeah?” Robert nodded gratefully, and the two of them went around the bar. Aaron caught Diane looking at them curiously. Andy must not have told her any of what happened the night before. Aaron lead Robert through to the living area, and then closed the door leading out to the pub. “We have maybe five minutes before my mum comes in to check on us,” Aaron said.

“Right,” Robert said, taking a deep breath as he tucked his hands in the pockets of his trousers. Aaron took a seat on the edge of the sofa, then clasped his hands tightly together as he leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees. With Robert standing right in front of him, looking the way he did in that suit, Aaron couldn’t help but think of how he’d knelt over the other man, clutching him tight and telling him he loved him. It made him feel a bit warm around the collar just thinking of how he’d wept over Robert, thinking he was dying.

“I’m a bit surprised you’re here,” Aaron said before it could get too quiet between them. “Not that I don’t want to see you, it just seemed that the way things have been with your family, you’d want to avoid them.”

“You mean after Andy did this to my face?” Robert asked, smiling a bit as he took his right hand out of his pocket so he could point at his bruised features. “I was going to stay away, but I wanted to check in and make sure you were alright. I couldn’t trust him not to go after you next.”

Aaron shrugged at that. “I’m not worried. I can take care of myself.”

“What, and I can’t?” Robert asked, looking amused as he gazed down at Aaron.

Giving another shrug, Aaron bit back a smile of his own. “You said it, not me.”

“Cheeky!” Robert said, untucking his hands from his pockets as he moved around the coffee table to sit on the sofa next to Aaron. “I had this whole dinner planned out for when you got back. I had candles, music, wine,” Robert listed.

Aaron frowned, confused. “Alright. What’s the occasion?”

Robert shifted a little closer. Aaron stopped hunching forward and sat back, so he could see Robert better. “After last night, I thought it would be romantic,” the blond said. “This isn’t quite how I pictured it, but it’ll do.”

Horrified, Aaron realized then that Robert hadn’t been passed out when he’d told the older man that he loved him. Aaron had to say something before Robert started to think he was moving too fast. “I didn’t mean it-”

“I love you too,” Robert said at the same time. They stared at each other for a second before Robert’s expression closed down. He pulled back a bit and frowned as he said, “You what?”

Aaron felt like the other man had just hit him over the head with something. He’d been expecting Robert to tell him they should slow down, or that he just didn’t feel the same. Not… this. Aaron was still trying to wrap his head around what Robert had said when the older man hurriedly got to his feet. He looked about ready to storm out of the room. Aaron jumped to his feet and grabbed hold of Robert’s arm, trying to keep him there long enough to explain.

“I didn’t mean it,” Aaron rushed to reassure him.

“Yeah, you’ve already said,” Robert told him, trying to pull away.

Aaron realized it sounded like he was once again telling Robert he hadn’t meant it when he said he loved him, when what Aaron was really trying to say was that he hadn’t meant his words from a minute ago. “Robert, wait! I mean, I meant it before, not what I just said. I didn’t want you to think I was being needy.”

Robert stood there, looking at Aaron uncertainly. His features were settled somewhere between angry and hopeful. He didn’t try to pull away this time when Aaron moved in close. “Look, it’s only been a week, right? I didn’t even know you heard me last night, and then I’ve had my mum doing my head in about us.” Aaron shrugged, not knowing what words would convince Robert that he meant everything he was saying.

But it seemed he’d said enough. Robert leaned in close, bringing their faces just inches from one another. “I love you,” Robert repeated, reaching up to lay his right hand along the side of Aaron’s face. Aaron’s breath caught as the blond leaned in, pressing their lips together softly.

He wanted to sink into the feeling, to deepen the kiss, but he was aware that Robert had to be in pain right now. Aaron was possibly more aware of Robert’s injuries than the older man was. The bruises and cuts didn’t stop the blond from pressing in close, running his hands down Aaron’s body, and then unzipping his hoodie. Hands slipped inside of it, stroking Aaron’s chest through his t-shirt and making his whole body heat up. The kisses Robert gave him stayed soft and quick, driving him mad for wanting more.

Aaron guided Robert back to the sofa. Their legs bumped against it, and then Robert was pushing Aaron down onto the cushions and trapping him under his weight. A warm hand slipped under the hem of Aaron’s t-shirt, stroking up his abs as Robert kissed the line of his jaw, working his way down to Aaron’s neck.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Chas exclaimed. Aaron shoved at Robert, feeling out of breath as he quickly wriggled out from under the blond so he could sit up properly. He shoved his shirt back down when he saw his mum standing at the open door leading out to the pub. She had her hands out, as if trying to stop them. “Everyone keep your clothes on while I’m here!”

“Maybe you should leave,” Robert suggested, also sitting up. He wrapped his arms around Aaron’s waist, trying to tug him closer. Aaron shrugged him off and got to his feet. He was embarrassed at being caught snogging Robert by his mum, but he still found it amusing when he glanced down at the blond to find him sulking. Robert had his arms crossed and he was glaring at Chas. Aaron stopped smirking at the sight when he noticed Robert also had a hard on that he was doing nothing to hide. Shrugging his hoodie off, Aaron dropped it down onto Robert’s lap, earning a glare from the man.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you both might like to know that there’s an angry group of Sugdens out there waiting for you.”

Robert sighed, letting his head fall back against the sofa. “Just go out there and tell them we’re not here,” Robert said.

“Yeah, except Diane knows you are because she saw you walk back here with Aaron,” Chas said, unsympathetically.

“You’re going to have to face them some time,” Aaron pointed out.

“Whose side are you on?” Robert asked, but he got to his feet. Chas turned around and headed back out to the pub. Aaron started to follow, but he was snagged around the waist from behind. He stilled as Robert’s hands gripped his hips, and the other man held him in place as he ground himself against Aaron’s behind. “When this is over,” Robert whispered into his ear, “I’m taking you home with me, and we’re going to start this relationship off properly.”

Aaron gasped as Robert thrust against him, leaving him in no doubt as to what the blond had in mind. He felt his body start to respond, and he let out a frustrated sound when Robert released him and stepped back. The blond smirked as Aaron retrieved his hoodie from where Robert had left it on the sofa, zippering it up over himself. The hem was just long enough that it masked the bulge that had begun to grow. “Shut up,” Aaron warned him. Robert raised his eyebrows smugly and sauntered out, leaving Aaron scowling after him.

As frustrated as he felt, it would never have occurred to him not to follow Robert back into the pub. When the older man faced his whole family for the first time in years, Aaron was there at his side. They found Andy, Vic, and Diane waiting for them at a booth. There was only one extra spot, clearly meant for Robert. As Aaron followed the taller man out from behind the bar, Chas grabbed his arm.

“Mum,” he said warningly, thinking she was going to kick off about him wanting to join in.

“Just be careful,” she said. “I’ll come by in a few with some drinks, and I’ll check in on you then. Debs has already given Andy an earful for what he did last night, but if he even thinks about taking another swing at you, I’ll bottle him!”

He gave her a nod, feeling better to know that she had his back. He didn’t think it would come to that, but then, Andy wasn’t usually the sort to barge into someone’s home and beat them up. At this point, Aaron wouldn’t put anything past him. Chas stayed behind the bar, serving drinks, but he knew she would keep an eye on him. Aaron followed Robert to the booth where his family sat, and didn’t hesitate to grab a chair and pull it over to their table.

“Sorry, pet,” Diane told him. “We need a word with Robert on his own. You can talk to him later.”

“I’ll stay, thanks,” Aaron said.

Diane and Vic both frowned at him, but Andy gave a sour laugh. “You’re making a mistake throwing your lot in with this one. He ruins everything.”

Vic was the one that caught on first. Her eyes widened as she looked between Aaron and Robert. “Are you… wait, are you together? When did this happen?” she asked, amazed. “Rob never comes to the village, and you only just got out of prison!”

Aaron shrugged, not wanting to get into the details when he was pretty sure Robert was going to try to make amends with his family. He didn’t think any of them would care for how Robert had originally sought to teach Chas a lesson. It was Andy who said it, shaking his head disapprovingly as he said, “As far as I can gather, Chas did something to Robert’s car. He’s been blackmailing her and Aaron, making them come work at Home Farm for him.”

“I’d say I’m shocked, but I’m really not,” Diane said.

“Then why are you even with him?” Vic asked Aaron, looking at him in confusion. “Why would you want to be? He’s blackmailing you!”

“It’s not like that,” Aaron told her, going to Robert’s defence.

“It is like that,” Robert interrupted. He glanced over at Aaron apologetically. “Or it was, at first. Chas took a bat to one of my cars, and I wanted her to work off the debt.”

“Why not just call the police?” Diane asked. “I love Chas, but if she did what you say she did, then it would have been less trouble just to call the police and let them handle the matter.”

“I-I wanted to teach her a lesson,” Robert said. “I was angry, and I didn’t think she’d learn if they just locked her up for a while. Besides, she’s a Dingle. I’d have had the whole lot at my doorstep, battering all my cars and doing who knows what else if I had reported her.”

Seeing the hard looks everyone was giving Robert, Aaron decided to step in. The last thing they needed was for Robert to describe how terrible he’d been. They needed to hear Aaron tell them how great he was, under all that arrogance. “Look, my mum made an agreement with Robert. She could have told him to call the police, but she preferred to work it out with him. She was supposed to come to Home Farm and clean for him, but she had the pub, didn’t she? I came to work for Robert instead.”

“That explains how you met, but not why you’re with him,” Vic pointed out.

He wanted to tell her it was none of her business, but he also wanted to win her over for Robert. Vic was his friend, and he knew how soft she got over romantic drivel. He tried his best to explain their relationship to her. “I’d already heard from my mum how terrible he was. I went in expecting him to be this monster, only he wasn’t.” Aaron shrugged, and said, “He’s got a temper. He can be arrogant, and say the stupidest things that make me want to deck him, but then he turns around and does something nice. He’s alright underneath it all, but it’s easy to miss if you’re just looking to slag him off.”

Aaron knew he wasn’t doing a great job explaining much of anything about Robert, but that didn’t stop the blond from reaching out under the table to grab his hand. Aaron looked at him, seeing past all the bruises. Those blue-green eyes caught at him, seeming to thank him for trying.

“Oi, get a room!” Chas said, interrupting for the second time that day. She was coming by to check on him to make sure no one started anything. She masked the reason for her presence by bringing a tray of drinks for them.

Aaron nodded at her and grabbed a pint from the serving tray she placed on the table for them. Robert had let go of Aaron’s hand to grab a glass for himself. Diane took advantage of Chas’ presence, leaning toward her and asking, “What’s your take on all of this? And why didn’t you say anything to me?”

“I would have done, if I thought it would change anything,” Chas said. “It wasn’t like there was anything you could do. You weren’t even on speaking terms with Robert. I’m not thrilled that they’re together now, but Aaron swears up and down that there’s more to Robert than meets the eye.” She looked down at the blond and said, “I’m trusting my son when he says he knows more about you than I do, but I want some explanations soon.”

“If you’re actually going to try to explain yourself, you can start by telling us about Katie,” Andy said, a resentful look on his face.

Aaron caught Robert looking over at him. He gave him an encouraging nod, and saw Robert sit up straight. “Last time I tried explaining, you beat me up and left me with cracked ribs and a dislocated jaw.”

“You did what?” Vic asked.

“When the police called off the search for Katie, Andy came by my house and did this,” Robert said, pointing up at his bruised face. “Only it was worse that time, because Aaron wasn’t around to pull him off me.”

“He killed Katie!” Andy said defensively when he found everyone looking at him.

“She came by mine the day she died. I’ve never denied that,” Robert said. “I saw her and I thought she was just going to start in on me about my wife again. She’d found Louisa’s obituary and had started rumors. I was fed up with her, and I told her to leave. She never said anything about her car breaking down and having nowhere else to go!”

“You’re a liar!” Andy snarled, jumping to his feet.

Realizing this was going to end with Andy trying to pound his fists through Robert’s face again, Aaron stood up and held Andy back. “That’s enough!” Chas yelled. “Outside, now!” Andy shoved Aaron’s hands off of him and left the pub.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that angry!” Diane exclaimed.

“That’s why I stopped coming by,” Robert said as Aaron sat down again. “He wouldn’t even hear me out before. I figured he’d try to kill me if he saw me again.”

“So he did that to your face?” Vic asked, eyes traveling over Robert’s cuts and bruises.

“When he heard about Aaron staying at mine because of the car, he did this to warn me off,” Robert explained. “He used Finn as an excuse for going. Andy came by with Ross and Finn, then attacked me while Ross went through my things and tried to make off with some stuff.”

“Finn locked me in the cellar with my mum, or I’d have been there sooner to stop him,” Aaron told Robert, finally getting his chance to explain why he hadn’t gotten there in time.

“He what?” Robert asked indignantly. “I don’t know what his problem is, but if he doesn’t leave you alone, I’ll have to-”

“There’s no need,” Finn said. He had entered the bar at some point, and was now walking over nervously. Robert glared at him, and Aaron rolled his eyes when the blond reached out to grab his hand possessively. “Look, I’m sorry. I thought… well, after that one night… Anyway, I got the wrong idea. About me and Aaron,” he explained, clearly embarrassed. “I thought we were starting something, and then he disappeared to Home Farm and wouldn’t take any of my calls. I’d heard stories about you,” he told Robert. “I thought you were trying to brainwash him. I ran into Andy, and he told me enough that I went with him to Home Farm to try and make you back off.”

“You told me Aaron had called me arrogant, and that he didn’t want to come back because he wanted to be with his family after Cain went to hospital,” Robert said angrily.

“I did call you arrogant,” Aaron remembered. “I was trying to tell my family it wasn’t worth it to come after you. I think I said that you could be arrogant, but once I got to know you, you were alright. Actually, it was pretty much what I just told Diane and Vic a few minutes ago.”

“That’s seriously the first word you’d choose to describe me?” Robert demanded, clearly a bit miffed.

Aaron shrugged. “I could think of a few others,” he said quietly so no one else would hear him. He raised his eyebrows suggestively at the other man.

Robert’s irritation melted away, and he gave Aaron an interested look before turning his attention back to Finn. “Alright, I forgive you. I can be generous, as long as you realize that Aaron is with me now.”

And he wondered why the first word Aaron used to describe him was arrogant!

“Believe me, I’m reading the signals loud and clear,” Finn said. Having apparently said all he wanted to, Finn left them alone at their table and headed out of the pub.

“Did you have to be so mean to him?” Vic asked. “He was just trying to look out for Aaron. He thought you were bad news, and he didn’t want to see Aaron getting mixed up with you!”

“Yeah, well I don’t appreciate people trying to get in the way of my relationship,” Robert said, unapologetic. The older man’s hand tightened around Aaron’s, but he found he didn’t mind the way Robert was holding onto him. He squeezed back, and the gentle pressure was enough to reassure Robert so that he loosened his hold a bit.

“There’s still one thing I don’t get,” Vic said. Aaron and Robert looked over at her, and she was frowning as she regarded her brother. “If you weren’t to blame for Katie’s death, why didn’t you tell us? You’ve let us believe Andy all this time!”

“I wasn’t exactly in a good place, Vic,” Robert told her. “I moved back here after my wife killed herself. And then there was Isabelle.” When he spoke of his daughter, it was clear to Aaron that Robert was struggling with his emotions. The muscles around his mouth quivered ever so slightly as he held back his grief. It was Aaron's turn to tighten his hold on Robert's hand, trying to offer comfort.

“Isabelle?” Vic repeated the name. She seemed to understand that Robert was struggling, because her voice had gone soft.

“My daughter.” The table was silent as Vic, Diane, and Chas waited for him to speak. Aaron glanced up at his mum for just a moment before turning his attention back to Robert. “She’d be three now. I- I had a fight with Louisa. She was in such a rush to get away from me that she got in an accident. Isabelle was with her.”

They were all patient as Robert took a deep breath and clearly tried to push back his grief. His tone shifted, words coming quickly and angrily as he tried to pretend he wasn’t feeling vulnerable and hurt. “That’s why Louisa killed herself, alright? And then I move back here to try and get some peace and quiet, and all I’ve got is Katie breathing down my neck. So excuse me if I wasn’t nicer to her when she kept banging on about my wife. She turned everyone, including my own family, against me. I wasn’t exactly in the mood to hear her out when she stopped by Home Farm. I thought she was there to have another go at me, so I slammed the door in her face. And then she died, and no one would even speak to me anymore. You were all that convinced I’d killed her. So no, Vic, I didn’t try coming back here to tell you I didn’t do it. I didn’t think any of you would listen.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Diane said, looking devastated.

“Look, I just want to forget any of this ever happened and move on with my life. It doesn’t matter if any of you believe me, but I’m not staying away this time. Aaron lives here, so you’ll just have to get used to seeing me.”

“Lovely,” Chas said unenthusiastically, but it was clear to Aaron that she didn’t mean any harm by it. She was trying to move the conversation past the unhappy revelation. It seemed to put Robert at ease, anyway. They had been holding hands under the table, but now Robert felt comfortable enough to let him go.

“Chas!” Diane warned her.

His mum shrugged, looking unbothered. “It’s not my opinion that matters. Aaron’s the one who has to spend time with him.”

Robert gave her a cocky grin and said, “Glad to know I have your blessing.”

“You could be a bit more supportive,” Diane admonished her. Aaron thought that was a bit rich, when she had written Robert off so quickly after Katie died. But to be fair, he supposed she was trying to compensate for that by being so ready to jump to Robert’s defense now.

“This is me, being supportive,” Chas reassured her. She picked up the tray she had brought over, and then grabbed the remaining pint and placed it in front of Aaron. “You’ll need all the help you can get to put up with that one’s ego.”

“Mum…” Aaron said, knowing she was just yanking his chain.

“Don’t mind me,” she said, turning to walk back to the bar. “Go on, live happily ever after! Just don’t come running to me when he starts to annoy you!”

“Like that would ever happen,” Robert scoffed.

“What, you think you’re not annoying?” Aaron asked him.

“Come on, admit it, you love me,” Robert whispered, leaning in close to whisper in Aaron’s ear.

Aaron huffed at that. “It won’t be my mum I go running to when you annoy me. I’ll just call Andy over and he can punch you again.”

“Andy’ll come around,” Vic reassured Robert. “I’ll have a word.”

“So will I,” Diane agreed. “Let’s see if we can go find him,” she suggested. Vic looked about ready to protest, but Diane gave her a meaningful look as she nodded her head toward Robert and Aaron. Vic stood and followed her step-mum out, leaving the two of them alone together.

Aaron sat quietly for a moment with Robert, sipping at one of the two pints in front of him. “That went pretty well, all things considered,” he finally said.

“Well, I’m not going to hold my breath,” Robert told him. “Andy may yet talk them around. He did the first time.”

“They’re idiots if they listen to him,” Aaron stated flatly.

“Anyway, I don’t want to talk about it,” Robert told him. “Why don’t we head up to your room and finish what we started earlier?”

Aaron tried not to smile at that, pleased when Robert stroked his thigh under the table. He hadn’t eaten at all today and was getting hungry, but that could wait. He was far more interested in seeing where this would lead. Aaron tried to look casual as he lead Robert around the bar and through to the back, but he could tell by the way Chas raised her eyebrows at them that he wasn’t fooling her for a second.

As Robert followed him up the stairs to his room, he thought about Chas poking fun at them a short while ago. She had been joking at the time, and it was early days yet, but when the bedroom door closed behind them, and Robert took Aaron into his arms, the younger man didn’t find it so hard to believe that they might very well live happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it! Official ending =)
> 
> Oh, all right. Let me know in comments if you want a gratuitous sex scene added in a 10th chapter. You know, for anyone unsatisfied with a romantic fairytale ending and in need of some dirty smut. I figure I can whip up a sex scene as an apology for those who have been waiting weeks for me to post Chapter 9 while I’ve been out slaying dragons and, you know, doing other more mundane things.
> 
> For those of you who’d like to end it here...
> 
> Certain as the sun
> 
> Rising in the east
> 
> Tale as old as time,
> 
> Song as old as rhyme
> 
> Beauty and the beast!
> 
> Okay, I’m done now. I’m just giddy from this past 2 weeks of amazing Robron moments on Emmerdale. I caught up on October episodes in a binge-watching session this past Sunday, and then spent Monday night rewatching all the Robron Suggle episodes so many times it’s sick. Running on almost no sleep at all, plus an outrageous dose of caffeine.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few of you wanted one last hurrah, so to speak. This in no way furthers the plot of the story. It’s just for those of you who like smut for the sake of smut. Which, let’s face it, is most of us. Enjoy!

“Ow!”

Aaron pulled back a bit. He had Robert pinned under him on his bed, and he’d been kissing him until the other man jerked away. “Alright?” he asked, lifting his weight off of the blond.

“Yeah, just a bit bruised,” Robert said.

Of course he was, after the way Andy had laid into him. Aaron had gotten swept up in the moment, forgetting that Robert was still injured. Once his bedroom door had closed behind them, he’d done what he wanted to do ever since Robert walked into the pub in that fancy suit. He’d attached himself to the other man, greedy hands exploring him as they slowly made their way to the bed. Aaron had allowed himself to be stripped of his clothing, but he’d been slow to undress Robert. He rather liked the suit.

By the time they had fallen onto the mattress, Aaron was completely nude. Robert, on the other hand, was clothed except for his suit jacket, which lay crumpled on the floor. His tie had been loosened, and the topmost buttons on his shirt had been undone. He looked devilishly rumpled. Unable to resist, Aaron had climbed onto him, kissing him hard. It was probably the kiss that had made Robert pull back. His lower lip was somewhat swollen from the cut Andy had left on it.

Thankfully, the blond seemed to be more than willing to forgive and forget. Robert had his arms wrapped around Aaron, running his hands up and down his bare back. Realizing he had to be more gentle, Aaron tried to get off the other man so he could lay next to him, but Robert tightened his hold. “I’m just trying to get off of you,” Aaron said, thinking it would probably be best for Robert to be on top so Aaron didn’t bruise him further.

“I was enjoying that part,” Robert complained, not letting go.

Aaron gave in easily, resting his weight on the other man once again. “Well, if I end up hurting you, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”

“Nice.”

Aaron lowered his face so he could kiss Robert, but he was sure to do it gently this time. “You sure you’re up for this?”

In answer, Robert let his hands drift down from Aaron’s back to his arse. His fingers dug in so he could hold Aaron tightly against him. It was easy to feel how hard Robert was through his trousers. “I’m always up for this,” the blond teased, making Aaron roll his eyes at the innuendo.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Aaron said, trying to be serious despite the joking grin the blond was giving him. Nothing would kill the moment more than him accidentally hurting the other man. “We can always wait.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate the concern, Aaron, but if you leave me like this, I swear I’ll make you pay for it later,” Robert told him, releasing his grip on Aaron’s behind so he could run his hands soothingly up and down his back. “It’s mainly my face that hurts. And I’m a bit sore, so let’s try to keep the gymnastics to a minimum, yeah?”

“Because I normally do back flips in bed,” Aaron laughed, even though he understood what Robert meant. “Alright, we’ll take it easy. Just lay back and let me do all the work.”

“Help me out of this, then.” Robert finally let him go so he could start unbuttoning his shirt while Aaron sat up and unzipped those fitted grey trousers. Robert lifted his hips so his trousers and underpants could be pulled off of him. Before long he was undressed and resettling on the mattress.

He couldn’t help but be amused at the way the blond settled back, his head resting on folded arms as he reclined there and waited for Aaron to get started. It seemed he was going to take Aaron at his word that he’d be doing all the work. Determined to wipe that cocky grin off that face, Aaron decided he was going to take his time until Robert was screaming for him. Straddling him, he leaned in to give the blond a gentle kiss on the lips before getting started.

They both knew this would lead to Aaron sucking him off, but he was happy to make Robert wait for it. He moved slowly down that freckled body, stopping to kiss his way down Robert’s neck, and nibble along his collarbone. He nipped at the small pink nipples, and lathed them with his tongue. By the time he’d gotten low enough to toy with the blond hairs that trailed down from his belly button, Robert’s stomach was twitching each time Aaron teased him.

Nudging Robert’s legs apart, he settled between them and looked up the line of his body. He found the blond watching him, cocky grin long gone so that his face was tight with need. Maintaining eye contact, Aaron grabbed hold of him, fingers wrapping around the eager length of Robert’s erection. The older man gasped at the touch. Precum had leaked from the tip, and Aaron rubbed it in, spreading it down the shaft so that his fingers would glide more easily over the sensitive skin there.

He worked his hand up and down a few times before lowering his head and taking the head into his mouth. He used his left hand to help hold Robert’s hips down when the other man reflexively thrust. His right hand held the base of Robert’s cock, moving in rhythm with his mouth. Aaron glanced up when Robert called his name, and felt his own pleasure move up a notch as he took in the other man’s heightened color, his parted lips, his messy hair, and his heaving chest.

Wanting Robert to know how much the sight of him turned him on, Aaron moaned. With his mouth still working up and down the other man’s shaft, his moan made Robert jerk. Suddenly there were fingers gripping his short hair, pulling Aaron up off of the blond’s cock. Aaron found himself flipped over onto his back, with Robert climbing on top of him. Lips crashed down on his, and if it hurt Robert, he didn’t seem to care at the moment.

They had never gotten a chance to discuss personal preferences when it came to what they each liked in bed, but he couldn’t say he was surprised when Robert positioned himself between his legs and began to rock against him. Earlier, before they had gone to face Robert’s family, the blond had grabbed hold of Aaron from behind. He had held onto Aaron’s hips so he could grind against his backside. Aaron had gotten his first hint at Robert’s preferences then, not that he minded. He liked whatever felt good, and having his prostate rubbed against while being topped felt good. He also liked being the one doing the penetrating, so eventually he and Robert would have to have that talk to see if it was something the blond was interested in.

Here and now, Aaron felt like his entire body was throbbing in anticipation. Pulling back from the kiss, he gasped for air. “Bedside table,” he finally said, feeling breathless. Robert growled in frustration, sounding less than human as he restrained himself just long enough to reach into the bedside table drawer and grab the lube and a condom. Prep wasn’t something that could be rushed though. It filled Aaron with an indescribable amount of satisfaction to see Robert struggle to reign himself in, and to hear the other man’s eager moans as he lubed his fingers and carefully began to work Aaron loose.

Once he was ready, Robert was on him, pushing his way in and setting a fast pace. He was a mess, and Aaron thought for sure he wouldn’t last long. Robert surprised him on that score. Aaron gasped when the other man found his prostate and began thrusting against it. The pressure built inside of him with each stroke until Aaron was clinging to Robert and moaning as wave after wave of pleasure swam through him. Robert pulled back a bit, kissing Aaron as he recovered. When he was finally able to open his eyes again, Robert pushed back inside of him, hitting that spot and starting that delicious build all over again.

The third time, Aaron reached down between their sweat slicked bodies to take himself in hand. Robert propped himself up even further so he could watch as Aaron jerked off, pumping his hips rhythmically, his cock brushing that sensitive spot over and over and driving Aaron nearly mad with it. His arse tightened as his orgasm hit him, emanating from that spot deep inside. Aaron shouted, throwing his head back against the pillows as he gave himself one last tug and came, shooting over his own stomach.

Robert grabbed hold of Aaron’s hips, burying himself in deep as he finally let go. The sight of the blond sweating and moaning over him made Aaron sit up so he could capture those bruised lips and kiss him. Robert collapsed onto the bed next to him, gasping like he'd run a marathon. They both laid there for a time, twitching and gasping as they recovered.

"And here I thought you were going to make me do all the work," Aaron finally said. He coughed a bit, throat feeling a bit dry.

"Alright?" Robert asked. He had been sprawled next to Aaron, but now he positioned himself more solidly on his back and tugged at Aaron. Taking the hint, he rolled onto his side and rested his head on the blond's shoulder. He wrapped his arm loosely around Robert's waist and relaxed against him.

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" Aaron asked.

"My lips don't feel great, but other than that I'm fine," Robert told him. He had his arm curled around Aaron's shoulders, holding him close. "It was worth it." They quieted, and Aaron thought the other man was possibly dozing off until he spoke again. "You want to go back to mine tonight?"

"I thought we could just stay here," Aaron said, reluctant to move.

"We could... but I definitely want to do that again, and we might keep Diane and your mum up. These walls aren't exactly soundproofed, are they."

"You don't think my mum heard us, do you?" Aaron asked, trying to sit up. Robert's arm around his shoulders tightened, keeping him pressed in close.

"It's not like she didn't already guess what we were up to when we left the pub. And she's probably still working the bar. Just leave it for now. But maybe you should think about staying over at mine."

"I guess it works out anyway. I still have the rest of the month at Home Farm to go, don't I?" Aaron pointed out, thinking of Chas' agreement with Robert.

"I kind of thought it went without saying that the agreement is over," Robert told him.

Aaron lifted his head off of the other man's shoulder so he could look at him. "Seriously?"

"Well, yeah. You're my boyfriend now. I can't make my boyfriend work for me!" Aaron buried his face against Robert's neck, biting back a smile. It wasn't just preferences in bed that they hadn't gotten around to talking about. They had never discussed their plans for a relationship. Aaron tried not to make a big deal of how pleased he felt at being casually referred to by Robert as his boyfriend.

"Alright," Aaron said, running his hand over Robert's chest. "We'll call it even, but I don't mind working on the car if you want to help. It could be fun."

"I prefer to watch. I like seeing you bent over the bonnet of a car." Aaron reached out to pinch Robert's nipple, making the blond jump.

"Ow!"

Aaron grinned. "Get dressed," he said as he sat up. "I have some ideas if you want to watch me work in your garage."


End file.
